LA PORTE, Ind. -- American Licorice Co. (ALC), with the support of management, in 2012 launched an aggressive recycling program and committed to achieving Zero Waste Facility Certification by 2016. Today, both of ALC’s locations--Union City and La Porte, Ind.--are Zero Waste Facility Certified, exceeding 90% overall diversion from landfill and incineration for non-hazardous wastes.
ALC maintains gold level status with the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council.
The company saw an opportunity to become a more sustainable company and engage associates in a transparent process.
“We had an ambitious goal of eliminating waste versus managing it through landfills, while complying with all federal, state/provincial and local solid waste and recycling regulations” said Clarence Walsh, business development manager.
“Our strategy has been to look at the zero waste objectives beyond landfill diversion numbers,” said Cliff Walsh vice president of operations. “We prioritize how we implement our ideas to upstream partners, policies and vendor contracts.”
Through continuous innovation efforts ALC reduced and replaced ingredients and packaging costs. ALC uses bulk purchasing to reduce packaging material, finds local suppliers to avoid transportation costs, and as an EPA Smart Way shipping partner, gives preference to transportation carriers who are Smart Way partners. Also, ALC’s associates and each location have added significant value to the Zero Waste goals by recycling scrap, paper, film, trays, wood pallets, metal, electronics and plastic containers generated in its process.
The company diverts off-spec candies to animal feed. Its toiletries conform to the recycled paper content. It initiates preference for renewable and repurposed packaging material with vendors to reduce waste.
The WasteWise partnership with the EPA establishes ALC’s drive to higher standards every year. Through this program, a multi-departmental effort, and a focus on lean principles, ALC has been able to improve its packaging material, equipment control, vendor and materials selection process, innovation process and associate training.
ALC has:
- Diverted 91% of material from landfill by recycling, reusing and composting used materials in 2015.
- Recycled 966 U.S. tons of material in 2015.
- Recycled 3169 US tons of material since 2012.
- Reduced annual landfill material above 88% since 2012. Documenting all recycling or repurposing efforts was a bottleneck in the company’s process, it said. Plant-wide forums, meetings and identifying the stakeholders helped it to move the needle from 88% to above 90% landfill diversion.
Maker of the Red Vines, Sour Punch and other brands, ALC is a privately owned non-chocolate candy manufacturer based in La Porte, Ind.
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