Taking one bag of trash out on the curb, as most people do weekly, generates more waste to landfill than many of GM’s facilities combined.

We’re committed to waste reduction throughout our operations. Currently, half of our manufacturing facilities are landfill-free, bringing our total count to 81. On average, 97 percent of the waste generated from everyday manufacturing operations at these plants is recycled or reused, and the remaining 3% is converted to energy.

Generating waste, such as scrap metal, paint sludge or shipping materials, is unavoidable for a car manufacturer as large as GM. However, we are finding innovative ways to repurpose it so it doesn’t end up in the ground.

Remember the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill? Our engineers partnered with recycling companies to convert 227 miles of oil boom into air deflectors for the Chevrolet Volt.

We believe there’s still more to be done. We recently announced efforts to help our non-manufacturing facilities –such as offices and technical centers– become landfill-free, too.  Currently, 18 non-manufacturing facilities hold the designation.

Every GM site is serious about finding ways to reduce and reuse waste. In 2010, all of our worldwide facilities combined—both regular and landfill-free—recycled or reused 92% of the waste they generated.