Minimizing waste in our operations
Minimizing waste in our operations is one of our key sustainability priorities. We address this topic by minimizing waste in our own production and treating generated waste in a responsible manner.
Our ambition is to maximize recycling of non-hazardous waste generated and to minimize our waste going to landfill.
The main waste streams in our processes are cutting waste from paperboard packaging manufacturing, materials rejected during the fiber pulping process, and plastic waste arising out of slitting operations.
The waste disposal method is determined on the manufacturing unit level based on the local regulation, available infrastructure, and type of waste. For example, cutting waste from our paperboard packaging manufacturing is either recycled as raw material for fiber packaging inside Huhtamaki or sent for external recycling, while plastic waste is mainly treated by recycling.
Turning ambition into action: Circulating printed plastic scrap back to the production in Türkiye
Huhtamaki’s first de-inking technology machine to process post-industrial waste has been installed in our flexible packaging plant in Türkiye. Thanks to the initiative 35-40% of the total printed plastic scrap generated in the production processes can go back to the process, reducing waste.
Read more about how we are addressing the end-of-life of our products
At Huhtamaki, we work relentlessly to achieve our 2030 targets and everyone’s input is needed for us to deliver on our commitment to protect food, people, and the planet. Tremendeous work is done at many Huhtamaki sites. As an example, we'd like to raise the achievement by our Foodservice site in Gosport, UK: achieving zero waste to landfill since November 2022.
The team in Gosport has worked tirelessly to improve the site's waste management. Today, 0% of Gosport’s waste ends up in landfill. The improvement was achieved by decreasing general waste and improving recycling rates as well as finding new partnerships in recycling. The transformation that Gosport has gone through helps us to stay true to our purpose of protecting food, people and the planet.