HD Construction Equipment announced Wednesday that its Incheon campus has earned the Platinum rating — the highest level of the Zero Waste to Landfill certification — from global safety and environmental certification body UL Solutions for the second consecutive year.
The ZWTL certification is an international standard that evaluates a facility's resource-circulation capabilities by verifying how it handles the waste it generates. Ratings are awarded based on recycling rates: Platinum for 100%, Gold for 95 to 99%, and Silver for 90 to 94%.
The Incheon campus earned the Gold rating for four consecutive years beginning in 2021, then last year became the first in the construction equipment industry to achieve a recycling rate of 99.54%, securing the Platinum rating. This year it maintained the top rating for a second straight year, further demonstrating its resource-circulation capabilities.
HD Construction Equipment has been developing a range of resource-recovery methods tailored to different types of waste. Casting sand used to shape molten metal into products, along with process dust, undergoes additional processing before being recycled as raw material. Waste synthetic resins and scrap wood are shredded and converted into solid fuel, while cutting oil used in metalworking is purified and reused.
The company is also replacing conventional wooden pallets and cardboard boxes with steel pallets and reusable plastic containers to reduce packaging waste generated during the delivery of raw and subsidiary materials.
Beyond managing waste at its facilities, HD Construction Equipment is expanding resource-circulation efforts across the full product lifecycle — from development through use, repair and disposal. The company has developed biodegradable lubricants compatible with hydraulic systems and engines in construction equipment, reducing the environmental burden at the end of a product's life. It is also developing recycled components containing 20 to 30 percent recycled material and conducting performance verification for use in both interior and exterior parts.
"Earning the ZWTL Platinum rating for two consecutive years is the result of our employees' sustained efforts to build a resource-circulation system and reduce waste," a company official said. "We will continue to pursue resource-circulation initiatives across the entire process, from facility operations to product use and disposal."
Meanwhile, HD Construction Equipment is advancing a range of ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies beyond waste management. The company recently signed power purchase agreements totaling 12.4 megawatt-peak in capacity with multiple renewable energy providers at its Incheon site. The deals are expected to bring the share of renewable energy used at the Incheon factory to 43.9 percent as of January next year.
yeongdai@heraldcorp.com
