Home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool announced that it has reached the goal of Zero Waste to Landfill at all of its large manufacturing sites worldwide, marking the achievement of a sustainability ambition first set by the company in 2012.

According to the company, by the end of 2022, each of its large manufacturing sites had achieved Gold or Platinum status in alignment with the UL ECVP 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill standard, which requires 95%-99% diversion, including waste to energy (Gold) or 99% – 100% (Platinum). The company’s 2021 sustainability report indicated that 90% of its sites had reached this status by the end of the prior year, in which the company generated approximately 330,000 metric tons of waste, with 95% recycled and only 3.3% sent to landfill.

Whirlpool CEO and Chairman Marc Bitzer said:

“Sustainability is central to Whirlpool Corporation’s culture. We are relentless in our efforts to improve the way we produce and manufacture our products to deliver on our social and environmental sustainability goals while not compromising product performance. Our Zero Waste to Landfill achievement is a significant milestone that underscores the commendable dedication and collective commitment from our team to drive meaningful change.”

The company highlighted the initiatives it pursued to reach its target, including investing in plant efficiency waste reduction, and working with recyclers and sustainability vendors to find ways to eliminate waste. The sustainability report included additional details such as providing training at all global sites, having each site set internal targets to reduce the volume of waste generated, and working to shift from “from recycling to reuse, reduce and reject rather than wasting materials at all.”

Pam Klyn, Sr. VP of Community Relations and Sustainability at Whirlpool, said:

“This accomplishment is a testament to the meaningful work of our employees around the globe and we look forward to building on this momentum through our sustainability efforts in 2023 and beyond.”