In 2017, we set a goal to divert 90 percent of waste from Greif production facilities from landfill by the end of the 2025 fiscal year. We were extremely proud to have achieved this goal a year early in APAC, EMEA, and LATAM!
We also made progress on our 2030 waste target, with 49 facilities achieving zero waste-to-landfill status!
Reaching this target early is a fantastic achievement for all involved and demonstrates how when we come together to act with environmental responsibility, we can lead from the front within the global industry.
Here are a few quotes from regional leadership and facility teams, bringing us insight into their success stories:
Jason Ashworth, EMEA Regional CI Manager, said:
“The journey of our EMEA plants to reach our 2025 waste target was achieved through marginal gains. We prioritized our largest opportunities and continuously followed up each quarter to track improvements and opportunities. Back in 2017, our waste was ~1500T to landfill (~3%) on an annual basis, with several sites not achieving the waste goal. However, by FY23, our landfill waste had been reduced to 391T, with EMEA achieving the 2025 goal and sending <1% waste to landfill as a region.”
Facundo Mercado, LATAM Engineer, said:
“I am very proud of the progress made by the LATAM facilities where 100 percent have achieved the 2025 waste goal, with our facilities improving 50% of their waste reduction in FY23 versus in FY22.”
Jason Low, Operations Manager, Petaling Jaya, stated:
“We’re aligned with the Protecting Our Future mission of the Build to
Last Strategy, and we will continue our journey in achieving Greif’s 2030 sustainability targets. We are eager for more support from Greif in terms of training and resources for this sustainability knowledge and skills.”
Next, Greif’s focus must turn to our 2030 target: reaching zero waste-to-landfill at 97 percent of our production facilities.
We will continue making progress across all facilities, collaborating globally to navigate difficult-to-divert waste streams.
Taking Action: Waste Reduction at Greif
Greif is on a mission to reduce operational waste, supporting the transition to a circular economy in the process. As part of our Build to Last Strategy, we are working to advance closed-loop and zero-waste processes across our global operations.
We’ve created additional business opportunities by strategically managing the return of customer waste in Industry Products Group and Recovered Fiber Group’s facilities,
in addition to managing our customers’ used products through our Life Cycle Services business, allowing for the processing and sale of recycled materials and reconditioned products.
In 2023, more than 88% of Greif’s global waste was recycled back into the market and away from landfills.
We closely monitor this percentage of waste-to-landfill by business unit as a KPI in monthly facility reports.
