HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Sonoco Recycling, LLC, a unit of Sonoco and one of the largest packaging recyclers in North America, today announced that Sonoco's Hanover, Pa., is the first Sonoco Plastics (injection molding) facility to receive a gold-tier Sonoco Sustainability Star Award for going landfill free.

"We began our journey to landfill free in January 2012 and achieved our goal in December," said Jeffery Green, plant manager. "We've remained landfill free in 2013 and are excited to receive a gold-level sustainability award."

Ray Howard, general manager, Sonoco Recycling, noted, "The Hanover plant's achievement, while noteworthy on its own, also helps Sonoco reach its goal of taking 10 percent of its plants landfill free by 2015."

In early 2012, the Hanover plant was paying rental fees on seven trailers for material storage of cardboard and plastic, which were sent to an incinerator. Today, thanks to the Waste Reducers team formed by the plant, the facility now recycles over half of that material, using the remainder as a waste-to-energy source. Anything left over from incineration (waste to energy) is reused or sold.  The team's work also eliminated rental fees for storage trailers and provided the plant with a revenue stream from recycling.

Created to recognize customer and Sonoco facilities for achieving significant milestones in landfill diversion and waste stream reduction, the Star Award program is composed of three tiers:

• Gold Star Awards, which recognize facilities that have achieved 99 percent landfill diversion;
• Silver Star Recognition, which is awarded to facilities achieving 95 percent landfill diversion; and
• Bronze Awards, which recognize facilities that have made significant waste reduction achievements.

Learn more about our Sonoco Sustainability Star Award program

A recycling leader with 50 locations and expertise worldwide, Sonoco Recycling annually collects approximately 3 million tons of old corrugated containers, various grades of paper, metals and plastics. In addition, the Company has experts who provide secure, reliable and innovative recycling solutions to residential and commercial customers.

Currently, Sonoco Recycling operates six material recovery facilities (MRFs) and serves nearly 150 communities in which curbside-collected residential and commercial materials are processed. The Company also provides recycling programs which identify waste reduction opportunities that reduce operating expenses for many of the largest consumer product companies in the U.S.