In 2019, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC sent a bit more than 273 tons of waste to landfill from its locations across the United States. Last year? Just 3.9 tons – a 98.5% reduction. The decrease is so impressive that it has earned Bendix a 2021 Better Practice award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Plants Program. The award recognizes Better Plants partners for innovative and industry-leading accomplishments in implementing and promoting practices, principles, and procedures of energy management.
“To put it in a perspective familiar to our industry, 273 tons – 546,000 pounds – is almost seven max-loaded Class 8 tractor-trailers’ worth of weight,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “Just under 4 tons, though, is only 7,800 pounds – less than the weight of an empty 20-foot moving truck.”
The Department of Energy will recognize Bendix and other honorees at this year’s virtual Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit May 17-20. The annual event provides opportunities for organizations to explore emerging technologies and share strategies for achieving greater energy, water, and waste efficiency.
“Better Plants partners are implementing innovative energy, water, and waste reduction solutions in the industrial space that are cutting costs and energy use while supporting job creation, combating the climate crisis, and driving a clean energy future in the U.S. The Better Plants Better Practice and Better Project awards honor their leadership,” said Dr. Michael McKittrick, acting director, Advanced Manufacturing Office, U.S. Department of Energy.
Bendix’s zero-waste culture supports the company’s ongoing support of the United Nations’ (UN) ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 overarching environmental objectives adopted by UN member states promote prosperity while protecting the environment. Two of the objectives – Responsible Consumption and Production (encompassed within SDG 12) and Climate Action (the focus of SDG 13) – are central to Bendix’s sustainability efforts.
The company’s waste reduction efforts were successful across its wider North American footprint as well. With the inclusion of its operations in Mexico, Bendix in 2020 sent fewer than 16 tons of material company-wide to landfill, realizing a 97% decrease from the 508 tons of material that were landfilled in 2019.
