Reducing Waste
Through partnerships with our waste and resource recovery suppliers, we have successfully identified several non-landfill options for our waste streams.
We cut our amount of waste-to-landfill by 39 percent, or 35 million pounds, compared to 2007 levels. Examples of our efforts included comprehensive recycling programs at multiple U.S. facilities, efforts in Marietta, Ga., that cut the amount of packaging required for major parts, and reducing cafeteria food waste at several facilities.
In 2009, our facility in Palmdale, Calif., kicked off a single-stream recycling program, allowing employees to commingle all recyclable materials into one desk-side collection bin. Subsequently, recycling soared 29% from the prior year, resulting in 452,920 pounds of recyclables diverted from our landfills. Other Lockheed Martin sites are moving toward single-stream recycling programs due to the success demonstrated in Palmdale.
Many of our sites are exploring recycling and composting options to divert biodegradable waste from landfills. Our Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, Calif., has recycled nearly 50 tons of paper towel waste from facility restrooms. The Center for Leadership Excellence in Bethesda, Md., composted more than 386,000 pounds of food waste and paper products from 2009 through 2010, achieving a 93% recycling rate for the building. Other sites are recycling yard waste into mulch/compost to be used on or off-site.
On Earth Day, in April 2011, seven facilities were presented with a "Lockheed Martin Greenest Cafeteria" plaque by Lockheed Martin Global Supply Chain Operations. Several of the green cafeterias have implemented food composting to reduce waste.
Sending Less to the Landfills
We partnered with an IT supplier to eliminate extra packaging by redesigning a multipack shipping container for computers.
Helping Employees Recycle
Lockheed Martin employees in Palmdale, Calif., play an interactive game to learn about materials that can and cannot be recycled in their new single-stream recycling program.
