European manufacturing sites lead in zero waste initiatives
Kelso, March 27, 2025 – The global surge in electronic waste, increasing by 82% since 2010 and projected to reach a staggering 82 million tons by 2030, demands immediate and effective action. In response, Plexus Corp., is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability by achieving significant waste reduction milestones at its European facilities. To mark International Day of Zero Waste on March 30, 2025, Plexus is highlighting these achievements at its production sites in Romania and the UK.
Over the past three years, Plexus has standardized waste stream tracking across its global facilities and implemented more efficient control mechanisms. The results were published in the company’s Sustainability Report Fiscal 2023. According to the report, all Plexus sites monitor their waste streams as part of their Environmental, Health, and Safety Management System (EHSMS) to ensure proper treatment and disposal. At the same time, the company continuously identifies opportunities to increase the use of circular raw materials in manufacturing processes, promoting recycling and reuse.
The Plexus facility in Kelso, Scotland was the first site to achieve the "Zero Waste to Landfill" milestone, meaning that all waste generated there is now disposed of without being sent to landfills. Similar progress has been made at the Oradea manufacturing site in Romania, where 95% of all waste is already diverted from landfill disposal.
“For Plexus, this is a true win-win situation: We can support our customers in achieving their goals by bringing their products to market cost-effectively and on time. At the same time, our Zero-Waste initiatives in Romania and the UK allow us to reduce the environmental impact of our own operations,” explains Alexander Klein, Vice President Operations - EMEA at Plexus. “Our team members play a key role as service providers and partners. Together, we develop innovative solutions to support our vision of helping create the products that build a better world.”
Plexus has a comprehensive approach to sustainable and responsible business practices strategy and has strategically enhanced its technical expertise in design, development, manufacturing and services to align with its sustainability goals. By improving operational efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy and optimizing existing facilities, the company reduced its energy intensity across global production sites by 8.4% in the past reporting year. Additionally, Plexus is expanding its sustainable service portfolio, helping customers develop and manufacture environmentally friendly products. Through measures such as Lifecycle Assessments (LCA), where it evaluates environmental impacts across the entire product lifecycle.
With these efforts, Plexus is addressing growing compliance requirements related to sustainability, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) introduced by the EU. Since 2025, this directive has required EU based companies to disclose the environmental, social, and employee-related impacts of their business activities through ESG reporting. The EU has also introduced further regulations on waste reduction. For instance, with the implementation of the EU Packaging Regulation (2025), stricter sustainability and recyclability requirements will apply to medical device packaging. As an experienced EMS provider, Plexus offers the necessary expertise and resources to support customers in achieving their sustainability goals.