General Motors said last Friday that 80 of its largest global manufacturing plants will be made "landfill free" in order to reduce their impact on the environment and raise profits from recycling materials.

"As we develop new solutions in vehicle propulsion, GM is also making significant progress in reducing the impact of our worldwide facilities," said GM group vice president of global manufacturing and labor Gary Cowger in a company statement.

33 global operations have recently attained landfill free status, which brings the total number to 43. To be considered landfill free, these operations much recycle all production waste and garbage.

Global recycling efforts generate about $1 billion a year in annual revenue in metal scrap sites. GM alone expects to produce about $16 million from cardboard, metal, wood, oil, plastic, and sales of other materials in North America.

The company will convert around 50,000 tons of waste to energy, and around 3 million tons will be recycled or reused.

+ Automotive News: GM vows to boost recycling at plants