First petroleum products company to achieve UL’s Zero Waste to Landfill Silver validation

ExxonMobil announced on December 11 its global network of lubricants blending and packaging plants, which manufacture all Mobil-branded products, has received the Zero Waste to Landfill Silver validation from UL, making it the first petroleum products company to secure this validation.

The company’s lubricant operations is successfully diverting over 90 percent of the waste produced in its global plant network from local landfills. More than 50,000 tons of waste produced per year are being redeployed into new, productive uses that will bring greater value to the environment and the economy. This achievement demonstrates the company’s commitment to reducing environmental impacts and enables commercial and retail consumers more sustainable choices through Mobil-branded lubricants.

“Reducing environmental impact is an important focus for ExxonMobil and a core part of our commitment to operating responsibly everywhere we do business,” said Terry Neal, global lubricant operations manager at ExxonMobil. “Achieving UL’s Zero Waste to Landfill at the silver level is an accomplishment toward our goal to ‘Protect Tomorrow. Today.’ and further demonstrates our commitment to bring all consumers high quality solutions to meet their business objectives.”

To achieve the validation, ExxonMobil implemented a range of waste diversion techniques and strategies across its lubricant production network. Specifically, the company identified 14 types of waste produced at these facilities that could either be avoided entirely, reused or recycled.

“Customers and consumers can feel confident they are making Mobil lubricant purchasing decisions that help fulfill their personal and business goals, including choosing partners that share in a commitment to reducing environmental impacts,” said Bennett Hansen, global lubricants marketing director at ExxonMobil.

ExxonMobil began developing this waste management program in 2012 and by 2015, had implemented it across the globe. Examples of these programs include implementing a device to safely drain aerosol cans in an environmentally conscious manner, allowing the metal and liquid to be recycled in Port Allen, Louisiana and, in Serviburnu, Turkey, implementing a simple distillation process to recover laboratory solvent.

“For a company like ExxonMobil, which has operations facilities across the globe, achieving UL’s Zero Waste to Landfill Silver validation is no easy feat,” said Alberto Uggetti, vice president and general manager at UL. “The program’s rigorous validation process is designed to recognize companies that handle waste in environmentally responsible and innovative ways, and ExxonMobil has implemented a comprehensive, far-reaching program that meets this rigor and reflects its commitment to operating in an environmentally responsible way.”

UL’s waste diversion validation program monitors and measures material flows in and out of facilities. It provides an objective basis for quantifying waste diversion rates so that consumers can more accurately assess claims and make meaningful comparisons between waste diversion rates among competing organizations.

To achieve these results, ExxonMobil engaged UL in a rigorous, multi-year process, which included readiness assessments, pilot programs, and extensive examination of documentation and on-site practices for final validation. From operations, research and engineering to marketing and sales, each team played an integral role in helping to achieve the validation.