Nestlé has invested $7 million to transform its milk factory in Modesto, CA to a "zero water" operation to avoid use of local freshwater resources. The project is expected to save around 63 million gallons of water annually and is due to be completed by the end of 2016
Big Heart Pet Brands' Milk-Bone bakery in Buffalo, New York, has sent zero waste to landfill for five years, reducing its CO2 emissions by more than 18,000 tons.
Since 2008, Milk-Bone has recycled more than 21 million pounds of materials via its zero landfill initiative. This has saved more than 18 million kWh of electricity, 17 million gallons of water, 9,000 barrels of oil, 45,000 mature
The Hershey Company announced plans to switch some of its popular chocolate products to "simpler ingredients," which includes a transition to non-GMO ingredients in its Hershey's milk chocolate bars and Hershey's kisses by the end of 2015.
Ice cream brand Breyers committed to sourcing 100% of its vanilla from sustainable sources in Madagascar, in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance. The company built on this commitment by creating a policy that restricts the use of milk and cream from cows treated with artificial growth hormones in its products.
A zero-waste food retailer is readying to open up in Brooklyn, N.Y., that will allow shoppers to fill their own reusable containers and offer milk in glass bottles that shoppers can reuse on future trips. The concept of retailers like the Fillery are popular in Europe, but they have yet to catch on in the US market.
Nestlé implemented technology at its Jalisco, Mexico dairy plant that will enable the facility save over 422,000 gallons of water per day by capturing water from milk and reusing it in operations. The company calls the plant is its first "zero water" manufacturing site.
The Hershey Company has introduced Sourcemap, an online supply chain transparency platform that allows consumers to explore where and how companies source their product ingredients. Consumers can now explore the origin of ingredients used in two Hershey's products: Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Kellogg's has joined RE100 and adopted a goal to source 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2050, according to the firm. "We hope to inspire others in our sector to follow our lead and do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions," said Chief Sustainability Officer Diane Holdorf.
The Carton Council of North America says that just over one million households had cartons added to their recycling programs between January and March. That brings the total of US households with access to 56,970,294.