Sony's Video Tec de Mexico (VTM) plant, located in Tijuana, Mexico has made great strides in waste reduction and recycling. This plant, one of Sony's largest worldwide, employs over 5,000, people in four facilities and assembles TVs, computer monitors and several subassemblies such as PC boards and tuners. Examples of Sony's accomplishments include:

• Since 1993, average annual increase in tonnage recycled has been over 45% per year (from 2,000 tons in 1993, to 4,300 tons in 1995.)
  
  
• Sony VTM's bottom line result from its recycling program in 1995 was over $500,000 in combined revenue and cost avoidance.
  
  
• In 1995, Sony VTM recycled cardboard, pallets, plastics, wood, lead ends, foam, dross, cartons, scrap equipment, copper, PC boards, steel, paper, wire, and other materials.
  
  
• In November 1995, Sony VTM installed new balers which enabled the company to further reduce remaining wastes by 50%.
  
  
• Sony's engineers reduced the size of a component of one of their TVs, substantially reducing plastic material use, material costs and wastes.
  
  
• Sony also reuses items such as wood pallets which are picked up at the VTM plant and refurbished/re-worked.

• Sony VTM was recognized in 1996 for their recycling efforts with a "Grand Prize" award in Sony's prestigious corporate environmental award program.

• Border WasteWi$e conducted a solid waste reduction assessment and study at Sony's VTM II plant. Sony implemented our recommendation of installing hand dryers in its restrooms, immediately reducing large quantities of paper towels, and is considering implementing other recommendations, including those that would dramatically reduce wastes generated by the plant's cafeterias, which serve several thousand meals daily.

  Sources: Sony Video Tec de Mexico and SAIC