Zero waste to landfill: a sustainable path forward

Every year humans generate between 2.1 billion¹  and 2.3 billion² tons of municipal solid waste, from packaging and electronics to plastics and food. Without intervention, this number could soar to 3.8 billion tons by 2050. Waste pollution not only harms human health and economies but also intensifies the global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The challenge is magnified by the fact that only about 61-62 percent of municipal solid waste is managed in controlled facilities.

The zero-waste approach

Addressing this challenge requires systemic change through sustainable production and consumption, and circular economy solutions. A zero-waste approach is key to this transition, focusing on waste reduction strategies i.e. reducing waste generation, maximizing resource efficiency, and diverting waste from landfills through recycling and resource recovery initiatives.

Within our sustainability agenda, as part of our preserving resources pillar, we have placed zero waste to landfill (ZWTL) as a key target. ZWTL certifications recognize a site for diverting a majority of their waste from the landfill by reducing, reusing, recycling and resource recovery. This goal is now integrated into ABB’s Long-Term Planning Process (LPP), ensuring all divisions contribute to achieving zero waste to landfill by 2030.

ABB’s progress in zero-waste initiatives

We have made notable strides toward our zero waste to landfill commitment. In 2024, we generated 177.5 kilotons of waste, a 6.3 percent increase from the previous year due to exceptional demolition and construction projects. Despite this, we successfully recycled 82 percent of our waste and reduced landfill waste to 5.8 percent marking a 0.5 percentage point improvement from the previous year.

Additionally, 53 percent of ABB’s global sites have already achieved zero waste to landfill, with the remainder making significant progress.

Recognitions and certifications

Certain ABB facilities worldwide have received UL Solutions certifications in recognition of their commitment to diverting waste from landfills. The UL 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill Environmental Declaration Verification Program (ECVP) is the first standard to fully describe a waste conversion scheme and how to calculate it. At the same time, it is also one of the most stringent standards at present, which require companies to achieve at least 90 percent of their waste through non-waste-to-energy conversion methods. This means that the conversion rate should be greater than 90 percent, to be eligible for Zero Waste to Landfill certification.

90-94 percent conversion rate is silver certification.
The conversion rate of 95-99 percent is gold certification.
100 percent conversion rate is platinum certification. Platinum certification means that no waste can be sent to landfill during the production process, and no more than 10 percent of the waste is incinerated.

Globally, a few recent highlights from our manufacturing sites include the following:

Italy
China
Finland
Bulgaria

Our Smart Power’s Garbagnate Monastero facility in Italy achieved a Gold rating for Zero Waste to Landfill, independently validated by UL Solutions using UL 2799, the Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Zero Waste to Landfill. The site, which produces enclosures for low-voltage power distribution systems, successfully diverted 99% of its waste from landfill in 2023.

ABB Frosinone in Italy was the first ABB facility worldwide to achieve platinum rating for zero waste to landfill. To achieve the platinum rating, 100% of the Frosinone site’s waste is diverted from landfill. 9% is thermal -processed for energy recovery.

ABB’s Xiamen and Xinhui facilities in China were the first to obtain Gold waste-to-landfill certification under UL2799 and UL2799A standards. Xiamen has now recently received a platinum certification.

ABB’s Finland site also earned a UL-validated Platinum rating, reinforcing our company’s leadership in sustainable waste management. 100% of site’s waste is diverted from landfill with 35% thermal processing for energy recovery. Vaasa is also an ABB Mission To Zero site, using smart energy management and renewables to achieve continuous carbon footprint improvements.

ABB's manufacturing base in Rakovski has achieved a Platinum rating for zero waste to landfill under the UL2799A zero waste environmental classification procedure. The 39,000 square meter branch now diverts 100 percent of its 876 tonnes of annual waste from landfill; the equivalent weight of 219 African elephants. One tenth of the waste is thermally treated and recovered for use as energy in production lines.

Footnotes

1. UN Global Waste Management Outlook 2024

2. UN report Rescuing SDG 11 for a resilient urban planet

Select region & language

The zero-waste approach

ABB’s progress in zero-waste initiatives

Recognitions and certifications