GM's Detroit Headquarters Goes Landfill-Free
DETROIT (AP) - General Motors Co.'s downtown Detroit headquarters complex now recycles, reuses or converts all its daily waste to energy, with efforts at the Renaissance Center keeping 5 million pounds of trash annually from landfills, the automaker announced earlier this week.
GM said work to make the Renaissance Center landfill-free took more than two years. It's being done through work with GM employees, recyclers, business tenants and their employees, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center and a property management company.
"This is a significant achievement considering all the waste from workers, shoppers, diners and hotel guests - ranging from half-eaten hamburgers to used mattresses - that will not end up in a landfill," said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs, said in a statement.
"By working together, we reduce our footprint while helping build a greener economy and a greener Detroit."
According to GM, the Renaissance Center now recycles 49 percent of its total waste. Remaining waste is converted to energy a nearby facility.
In addition to GM's headquarters and the hotel, the Renaissance Center houses 20 restaurants, 27 retailers and 11 other businesses. The Renaissance Center is open to the public, and it accommodates about 12,000 office workers and 3,000 visitors daily.
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