General Motors is getting its green on. Well, even more so that it already is. The General revealed its latest initiative: recycling employees’ plastic water bottles for the Chevrolet Equinox.
Specifically, GM is taking the recycled plastic and creating noise insulation material for the crossover’s engine. The initiative is a further step into the automaker’s drive for zero waste facilities. The water bottles are collected from five of its Michigan facilities, and funneled into the “Do Your Part” project.
Furthermore, the plastic bottles aren’t only creating a Equinox components. GM is also recycling the plastic and turning the material into air filtration components and insulation in coats for the homeless community.
“Recycling is good, but viewing waste as a valuable resource that can be plugged into your operations or products is even better,” said John Bradburn, GM global manager of waste reduction. “It’s about rethinking the process and finding more sustainable ways to manufacture products and contribute to our communities.”
GM pursued this project after analyzing its impacts from a holistic business case:
- Sourcing recycled material costs the same while saving energy and reducing waste
- .Engaging a network of companies to process the material in North America strengthens the economy.
- Donating 24,000 yards of insulation – enough to make 6,500 coats – helps the homeless.
You’d be shocked to find how much GM recycles into its own product. For example, the Buick Verano’s headliner includes recycled cardboard from GM plants, plastic caps and shipping aids are reused to create shroud pieces for Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra radiators and test tires from the Milford Proving Grounds are shredded and used in the manufacturing of air and water baffles for a variety of GM cars.
One by one, each initiative looks to strengthen the idea of reduce, reuse and recycle.
Comment
this was news when Oldsmobile produced the AURORA in 1994, they used recycled bottle plastic for trunk liner panels.