Warren (WWJ/AP) -- A little "r" and "r" for General Motors factories. Not rest and relaxation, but recycling and reusing. The automaker announced Friday morning that half of its major factories worldwide will recycle or reuse nearly all of their waste materials by the end of 2010.
Company officials also said 33 more factories have achieved ``landfill-free'' status, bringing the total to 43 worldwide.
To gain that status, factories must recycle more than 96 percent of their waste materials, with the rest being shipped to waste-to-energy incinerators.
"As one of the largest companies in the world, GM has the ability to make a significant positive impact on the environmental issues facing our world,'' John Buttermore, GM vice president of global powertrain manufacturing, said in remarks prepared for the announcement at a transmission plant in Warren. "We can set an example for others to follow.''
Recycling efforts also help the company's bottom line, GM said. Revenue from selling recycled scrap metal is approaching $1 billion per year, the company said.
GM facilities will recycle or reuse more than 3 million tons of waste materials this year, according to the company.
GM has about 160 manufacturing facilities worldwide, including joint ventures. It plans to make 80 of them landfill-free.
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