Commentary Zero landfill waste… can it be done? I frequently run across articles online wherein an ambitious person or family manages to get one or two years’ worth of household trash into one 16oz Mason jar. I never look too hard at the pictures of the Mason jar, afraid of what I might see in there, but I am always admiringly skeptical of how they can realistically contribute that little waste to landfills. I read the articles to glean advice on how “You Too can do this at Home,” but most of their suggestions I’ve already implemented at home and we still average two regular-sized trash bags a week shipped off to the dump. We drink tap water, shop at the farmers’ market and use cloth bags, and what plastic bags do find their way into the house I use for picking up after the dog. I even use the ones that have holes in them by patching up said holes with packing tape (before I walk the dog, thanks), much to the wrinkled-nose disgust of my boyfriend who “can’t believe” I’m actually going to pick up bio-hazardous waste with that. We re-use, re-gift, recycle, upcycle, donate, swap and re-purpose absolutely everything and experience horrible guilt at throwing any food away, yet still we can’t get our trash into a Mason jar. Not even close. So when Procter & Gamble (P&G) recently announced that it plans to eliminate all manufacturing waste from its global network of more than 100 production sites by 2020, I was intrigued. According to P&G, 56% of its global production sites have already achieved this milestone and plans are in place to complete the remaining facilities over the next four years. This means eliminating or re-using about 650,000 metric tons of waste, which is equivalent to the weight of nearly 350,000 mid-sized cars, that would typically go to landfills. This is great news, but if that off-the-grid family is still filling up a mason jar of refuse or two, how will P&G achieve zero manufacturing waste? Apparently, they plan to make sure that all incoming materials are either converted into finished product, recycled internally or externally or re-used in alternative ways through partnerships. It cites examples such as liquid waste from laundry detergents converted to alternative fuels to power vehicles in Ohio and non-recyclable plastic laminate materials shredded and pressed into low-cost building panels in India. Shampoo waste in China is used to wash cars and scrap from a tampon plant in Canada is used to make emergency spill containment products. This is inspiring, to say the least. I’m determined to find more ways to use or process the stuff that is always, somehow, ending up in my house. P&G, in its press materials, mentions the financial investment needed to make zero landfill a reality. What it doesn’t mention is how much money is saved or earned by converting its waste into raw materials and feedstock for other companies. I’d be interested to know. In the meantime, keep on re-purposing. You can pick up all the reusable shopping bags you need at industry events. Really, they just give them to you! 6 Spray February 2017 Spray Technology & Marketing Cynthia Hundley Publisher chundley@spraytm.com Ava Caridad Editorial Director acaridad@spraytm.com Christen Harm Assistant Editor charm@spraytm.com Montfort A. Johnsen Technical Editor montyjohnsen@att.net Susan Carver Vice President, Administration scarver@spraytm.com Doug Bacile National Sales Manager dbacile@spraytm.com Donald Farrell Production production@spraytm.com Joy Cunningham Reader Service Coordinator readerservice@spraytm.com Circulation circulation@spraytm.com Member: CAPCO Volume 27, No. 2 February, 2017 Industry Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part may be reprinted without written permission from the Publisher. Spray Technology & Marketing (ISSN No.1055-2340) is published monthly by Industry Publications, Inc. Correspondence for editorial, advertising and circulation to: 140 Littleton Road, Suite 320, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: 973-331-9545 • Fax: 973-331-9547 Subscription inquiries: circulation@spraytm.com Internet: spraytm.com, twitter.com/SprayTechnology Periodical postage paid at Parsippany, NJ and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Spray Technology & Marketing, 140 Littleton Road, Suite 320, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Subscription rates: U.S. 1-year $60.00; Canada & Mexico 1-year $70.00. Airmail Rates to foreign countries: $130.00/yr. Single copies of current issues: $12.00. Directory Issue (Buyers Guide) $27.00 (includes shipping). Missing issues: Claims for missing issues must be made within three months of the date of the issue. Printed in the U.S.A. Industry Publications, Inc. also publishes Indoor Comfort Marketing The opinions expressed in this publication are not intended to be, nor should they be in terpreted as, a replacement for professional, legal advice. Editorial Director
Spray February 2017
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