American Companies Vying for Zero Waste to Landfill Certification, Looking to Woo New Customers

With sustained media attention on the dangers of America’s overflowing landfills, consumers are looking for new ways to show their commitment to the environment. Recycling kitchen leftovers into compost is one simple way to help lower the levels of America’s landfills, and of course, buying recycled clothing that is in good condition also keeps millions of tons of cotton and denim from being thrown away each year. Although only a handful of companies have achieved “zero waste to landfill” certification, the distinction is becoming increasingly important to American consumers.

Looking for a new or used car for sale? Subaru dealers want customers to know that they have been recycling packaging and re-using auto parts for more than a decade. In general, factories are placing emphasis on streamlining their manufacturing process and continuing to improve their efficiency. New technology allows for high-resolution, non-invasive scanning, which can help designers upgrade products in record time.

Subaru is starting to teach other companies how to minimize the amount of waste they send to landfills, and as more technology companies look to run their factories with renewable energy — solar and wind, for the most part — the fact that Subaru inventory is made with less than 2% waste continues to be a positive selling point.

The idea of using recycled materials in cars for sale, appliances, and roofing materials is gaining ground with customers who want to invest in products that have a low environmental impact. Recycled steel windows, doors, and roof panels can work well with new solar panels, and home refrigerators and air conditioners are often designed to be energy-efficient. Plastic packaging is also being trimmed down, and the average gallon of milk weighs about one-third of what it weighed ten years ago.

So there is progress being made on all fronts: Subaru dealers locally understand that their customers may prefer to buy cars for sale that they know were made at a zero waste to landfill plant. The old business wisdom among car dealers and other manufacturers may have been that recycling and reusing packaging materials and parts was not worth the effort; modern companies are more than willing, however, to make that effort in a bid to win customers and to earn their loyalty. Subaru recycling programs may cost close to $7 million to run each year, but some reports state that the company saves more than $10 million through its recycling efforts.

Making the decision to buy new or used cars for sale can take planning, comparison shopping, and saving. Planning on installing a new roof, windows, or doors is also a significant investment. However, American companies are starting to realize that their customers may be more willing to invest in products and services from companies with environmentally-friendly values. Will the trend continue? Experts say that in a few decades, ecologically-responsible companies may be the “new norm.”