ON Semiconductor’s Plastics Go Electric!

Did you know that all finished goods plastics from our 22 manufacturing sites and most sub-contractors globally are shipped to ON Semiconductor’s Reclamation Center (OSRC) located at our headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona? On average, we accumulate 100,000-pounds of plastic per year through the finished goods our products are shipped in. This includes rails, reels and wafer carriers. Last year, China banned all imported waste, causing several companies to halt their recycling programs and divert their plastic waste to the landfills. ON Semiconductor chose to explore more eco-friendly alternatives.

Initially, the OSRC donated 40,000-pounds of plastic to Treasures 4 Teachers. Treasures 4 Teachers is a non-profit which strives to serve Arizona’s educators by providing school supplies for low to no-cost. Our plastic wafer cassettes, trays and other plastics are good alternatives for teachers to use in their classrooms. We knew this was only a short-term solution.

Then, the OSRC came up with a creative long-term solution to dispose of their plastic waste – turn it into electricity. We collaborated with the Phoenix-based company, Recycle 1, who accept our collected plastics monthly. The plastics are then shipped to California where they are burned and turned into electricity at the Southeast Resource Recovery Facility, located in Long Beach. Earlier this year we shipped 100,000-pounds of plastic. Whether plastics are being sent to the landfill or being turned into electricity, there is a cost to remove the plastic. Our conscious rests easier knowing that these plastics are being re-purposed as opposed to ending up in a landfill or in the waterways.

If you want to learn more about the OSRC, check out our previous article found here.