ATLANTA, Ga. – Superior Essex Communications was recognized by GreenCircle Certified with a Zero Waste to Landfill certification. It marks the fifth consecutive year that its Hoisington plant achieved the designation.
The Zero Waste to Landfill certification from GreenCircle is one of the most difficult sustainability certifications to meet. GreenCircle will certify an organization for Zero Waste to Landfill Certification if 100% of the materials leaving the facility are intended to be diverted from landfill via one of GreenCircle’s acceptable means of diversion. GreenCircle acknowledges the potential for contaminants to be co-mingled with diverted materials and has an allowance of up to 2% by weight of total residuals off of the downstream material processors for a facility to still be considered zero waste to landfill. Waste diversion from landfill, defined as the prevention and reduction of generated waste through source reduction, recycling, reuse, or composting, has been characterized as one of the best ways manufacturing companies can demonstrate genuine environmental responsibility.
Annie Bevan, Global Head of Sustainability for Superior Essex Communications, said that this certification is one of the most prestigious that can be awarded to any company.
“I believe that a Zero Waste to Landfill certification from GreenCircle is a feat that many manufacturing companies can try to achieve but few can due to its rigorous evaluation. It is with great pride that we acknowledge this accomplishment,” Bevan said. “It took nine years and an incredible amount of work — that was spearheaded by the plant manager and employees themselves – that made this happen. It took collaboration from every single person at the plant to achieve this certification. Not only have they achieved zero waste to landfill status once, they’ve maintained this status for five years in a row which shows tremendous commitment to sustainable manufacturing and reducing our overall environmental impact as a company.”
Attaining the zero-waste facility status means that Superior Essex must account for the potential waste created throughout its entire downstream process, including that of third parties who are involved in the recycling and reuse of waste materials.
As a company, Superior Essex Communications must also continuously verify and prove that the companies it uses to recycle scrap metal, wood, plastic and other materials are not sending their waste by-products to a landfill.
Tony Szot is the Plant Manager at the Hoisington location. He said that it is an award for the entirety of his team.
“The Zero Waste to Landfill designation is something that we all strive for each and every year,” he said. “It does not really get any easier to achieve even though we have done it for five consecutive years. There are a lot of people that share in the credit and the excitement whenever we get notified that we have hit this mark.”
Since the process began in 2005, the Hoisington plant has diverted nearly 63 million pounds of waste from landfills.
Phil Metro spearheads the effort at the plant and said that the collective group is focused on consistently being aware of this effort.
“Our facility is known for having the discipline to segregate waste with no contamination, which has been a huge part of our zero waste to landfill status,” he said. “Being a zero waste to landfill facility is something we are all extremely proud of, not necessarily for the status but because it is the right thing to do.”
The cumulative impact has impressed Tad Radzinski, Certification Officer for GreenCircle.
“We commend Superior Essex for their continuous commitment to maintaining a GreenCircle Certified Zero Waste to Landfill facility for the past five years. This commitment has reduced waste, saved valuable resources from being lost in a landfill, and it has set them apart from other companies in the industry,” he said. “Superior Essex has been fully transparent and committed throughout the rigorous certification process and they are leading the way with their sustainability efforts. Achieving Zero Waste to Landfill one time is an incredible feat, but achieving it for five consecutive years is very difficult. This speaks to the hard work and dedication Superior Essex employees put in every day to ensure they are doing the right thing and driving continuous improvement in their facility.”
About Superior Essex Communications
Superior Essex Communications is the leading manufacturer and supplier of communications cable in North America. It is on the forefront of innovation through Power over Ethernet, Intelligent Buildings and Cities, 5G Fiber infrastructure including Hybrid and Composite solutions, as well as technological advancements being made at its Product Development Center. Additional information is available at http://superioressexcommunications.com.
