Joining the ranks of other ‘zero waste’ certified companies such as Disneyland, Whole Foods Market, Microsoft, and Sierra Nevada, Nature’s Path said that it is “the first and currently only cereal company in North America to receive the Zero Waste certification from GBCI.”
Its three facilities in Delta, BC; Wayne, WA; and Sussex, WI, each divert over 93% of their waste from landfills, which the company said is a combined total of 4,320 tons each year, or an equivalent to 2,160 midsize cars.
“This milestone is not simply a testament to the quality of our facilities, but to the hard work and dedication of each of our team members who strive every day to leave the earth better than they found it,” said Jyoti Stephens, senior director, human resources and sustainability, Nature’s Path.
A peer-reviewed definition of Zero Waste
The Zero Waste Certification is based on “the peer-reviewed, internationally accepted definition of Zero Waste developed by the Zero Waste International Alliance,” the company said. “The goal for businesses participating in the certification program is to divert all end-use materials from the landfill, incineration and the environment, while achieving a minimum of 90 percent diversion.”
Reducing waste has increasingly become a priority in the industry, from the James Beard Foundation’s Impact Programs to start-ups like Full Harvest making better use of cosmetically rejected fruits.
The Zero Waste Certification focuses on not only food waste, but production practices used to make the finished products. For its certification process, GBCI provides a third party evaluation of policies, processes and programs related to zero waste and validates the information through documentation review and a site visit.
“Social responsibility and environment sustainability are pillars that are core to everything we do at Nature’s Path, and they go hand-in-hand with our passion of producing delicious, organic food,” Stephens added.