This year, General Motors will recycle an amount of polystyrene equal to that of 42 million coffee cups. Polystyrene patterns are used to create cast iron dies that stamp out body parts.
This is one example of the recycling efforts made by the American auto giant in the United States, Korea and Germany. According to executives, reducing waste is an important business and environmental goal for General Motors.
Polystyrene is nearly indestructible, taking hundreds of years to fully decompose. That's why it should be reused.
All polystyrene scrap is returned to the supplier. From there it may be sold to other manufacturers to be melted and reprocessed into new construction materials or plastic products such as decking, wall trim and chairs.
GM also implemented a technology to convert general plant trash into energy. The trash is incinerated, producing over 300,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity to be reused in its various manufacturing operations. To give you an idea, that's enough power to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 34 homes.
photo:General Motors
This is one example of the recycling efforts made by the American auto giant in the United States, Korea and Germany. According to executives, reducing waste is an important business and environmental goal for General Motors.
Polystyrene is nearly indestructible, taking hundreds of years to fully decompose. That's why it should be reused.
All polystyrene scrap is returned to the supplier. From there it may be sold to other manufacturers to be melted and reprocessed into new construction materials or plastic products such as decking, wall trim and chairs.
GM also implemented a technology to convert general plant trash into energy. The trash is incinerated, producing over 300,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity to be reused in its various manufacturing operations. To give you an idea, that's enough power to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 34 homes.
photo:General Motors