Dallas—As a result of Dal-Tile’s Zero Landfill initiative, team members at the company’s manufacturing plant in Muskogee, Okla., have kept more than 2,600 tons of waste and materials from ending up in the local landfill since 2014, maintaining the plant’s certification as a Zero Landfill facility originally obtained in October 2015.
“The focus of the Zero Landfill initiative at all of our manufacturing facilities is to minimize the environmental impact of manufacturing through resource conservation and waste reduction,” said Robert Hurt, director of environmental, health and sustainability services for Dal-Tile.“We have implemented processes and projects to align with these goals in order to transform all process wastes into valuable resources and implement procedures for proper sorting and management of recyclables in our manufacturing facilities.”
To obtain and maintain this achievement, Dal-Tile focused on changing the collective mindset and getting the entire facility involved, Hurt explained. First, the Muskogee team worked to make it more convenient to transfer and sort recyclables by labeling disposal and recycling centers throughout the facility. Then, they prioritized discussions around recycling practices and goals at meetings to ensure the team was equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary for reaching the sustainability goals. Lastly, a weekly newsletter was distributed to the plant employees, which provided information about ways to recycle at work and at home.