As of May, the GM Powertrain Baltimore transmission facility has been operating with landfill-free status for waste materials generated directly from its daily operations. This year, approximately 97% of the waste materials from the site (7,300 tons) will be recycled or reused and 3% (215 tons) will be converted to energy at a waste-to-energy facility. In 2006, the plant was close to landfill-free status, with 99% of its waste recycled, reused or converted to energy.

Items that are recycled or reused at the site this year will include approximately 510 tons of aluminum, 600 tons of steel, 10 tons of alloy metals, 360 tons of wood pallets, 3 tons of paper, 20 tons in empty totes and drums, 250 tons of used oil, 220 tons waste water residual, and 5,400 tons of returnable packaging.

Part of the challenge in reaching landfill-free status is finding uses for recyclable materials.  Aluminum is recycled by GM foundries that produce engine and transmission components. Steel, alloy metals, and paper are sent to recyclers for reconstitution into a variety of products. Used oil is reconditioned for use as a manufacturing fuel additive. Wood pallets are given to Baltimore area fire departments or sent to energy recovery. Empty drums and totes are refurbished and used again and again.

More than 13,000 tons of CO₂ will no longer enter the atmosphere each year as a result of the plant’s manufacturing operations, which avoid CO₂ emissions normally generated when waste is landfilled.

Previously, General Motors announced a goal to reduce CO₂ emissions from its North American manufacturing facilities by 40% by 2010, based on 2000 baseline levels. In addition, General Motors recently became the first carmaker to join the US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a non-partisan group of companies and non-governmental organizations formed to support a mandatory, economy-wide, market-driven approach to climate protection.

Baltimore Transmission is the eighth GM facility to reach landfill-free status. Other GM landfill-free facilities include plants in Tonawanda, NY; Flint and Wixom, Mich.; Gunsan and Bupyeong, Korea; and Kaiserslautern and Eisenach, Germany.

In North America, GM facilities have reduced non-recycled waste by more than 76% since 1997, by either eliminating the generation of waste or increasing recycling. These same North American facilities currently recycle nearly 88% of the waste they generate. Globally, the recycling rate for GM facilities is approximately 86%.

GM was one of the first organizations—and to date is the only automaker—inducted into the US EPA WasteWise Hall of Fame.