Tea facility meets zero-landfill goal

SUFFOLK, Va. - Lipton, one of the world's top producers of tea announced that its Suffolk, Va. plant has achieved its zero-landfill goal. Which means, the company's waste materials are not being sent to landfills, instead they are being processed through robust recycling and composting programs or converted into usable energy.

According to a news release, the City of Suffolk greatly values its 55-year relationship with the Lipton Tea facility, and has long recognized the Unilever and Lipton business strategy as a leading example in manufacturing excellence and corporate responsibility, said Suffolk Mayor Linda T. Johnson. This latest effort not only keeps the Suffolk facility efficient and thriving, but eco-friendly as well; all involved should be commended.

"Lipton's commitment to keeping waste out of landfills is a standard-setter in our community. It's great for the environment and contributes to saving valuable space in our communitys landfills," said Tom Kreidel, Southeastern Public Service Authority public relations coordinator. By creating usable energy from waste that cannot be recycled we have not only helped Lipton reach its zero-landfill goal but have helped process more than half of the regions non-recyclable waste.

The team at the Lipton Suffolk facility began taking steps to achieve its zero-landfill goal more than a year ago, forming partnerships with Sonoco, McGill and with the Southeastern Public Service Authoritys waste-to-energy facility, to turn some waste into usable energy to provide steam for the U.S. Navy's largest shipyard in nearby Portsmouth, Va., along with creating electricity that is sold through the electrical grid.

With other progressive new waste management procedures in place - including eliminating plastic strapping on pallets, replacing non-recyclable cleaning wipes with reusable rags, and choosing sturdier, reusable plastic pallets over traditional wooden ones - 70 percent of the plants waste is recycled or reused; 22 percent is composted; and the remaining eight percent is converted into usable energy.

The Lipton facility's achievement also allows the plant team to conserve:

• 16 tons of plastic, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 13.76 tons
• 21,182 mature trees, the equivalent of 262 million sheets of newspaper
• 576,898 gallons of oil, enough to heat and cool 2,856 homes for a year
• 29,904 gallons of gasoline, enough to drive more than 837,000 miles in the average American car
• 8,722,000 gallons of water, enough to meet the daily fresh water needs of 116,293 Americans
• 5,108,600 kilowatt hours of electricity, or a years supply of power for more than 425 average homes

For more information on the Unilever company, brand and values, visit www.unileverusa.com .