TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) -- Honda Motor Co. said Monday that eight of its 14 North American plants are now sending no waste from manufacturing activities to landfills, and it expects none will be sending waste to landfills by next year.
In its sixth annual North American environmental impact report, Honda said 90 percent of the parts in its new cars can be recycled. It also said it eliminated 4,500 wood pallets and 513,800 pounds of corrugated materials that had been used for parts shipments.
Honda also said its corporate average fuel economy rose by 1 mile per gallon to 31.3 mpg in the 2009 model year.
The automaker said it reduced production by 8 percent during the model year, which saw a sharp downturn in sales because of the economy. Still, its carbon dioxide emissions per vehicle produced rose 1 percent.
Honda released the report electronically to save paper.
