Danone North America announced its goal to achieve Zero Waste to Landfill across all North American company facilities by 2025. The goal, which has already been achieved by 15% of its manufacturing facilities, sets a new company standard for recycling and waste reduction through updated processes and increased education. Sherri Livengood, Director of Environmental Affairs at Danone North America, said: “As one of the world’s largest Certified B Corporations and a market leader in yogurt, plant-based, premium dairy, and coffee creamers, embracing our responsibility to support a more sustainable world is pivotal. The Zero Waste to Landfill goal creates a bridge to our company’s existing One Planet. One Health frame of action, which includes our commitment to reducing food loss and waste in our U.S. operations by 50% by 2030 and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
Zero Waste to Landfill is achieved when at least 99% of waste generated throughout the manufacturing process is diverted from landfills. As a result, waste produced throughout food and beverage production, including handling, storage, processing, packaging, and distribution, is reused, upcycled, recycled, composted, or sent for energy recovery.
In the face of the climate crisis – an issue exacerbated by waste – Danone North America’s manufacturing plants are making substantial progress toward its goal of Zero Waste to Landfill. By working with third-party partners like Veolia ESS and with local organizations, including ShurGreen Farms, Langdon and Sons, Wasatch Resource Recovery, and EBI Montreal, the company is bringing forth innovative solutions to divert waste from landfill to instead be reused, recycled, or composted.
“When our plant achieved Zero Waste to Landfill in 2020, the full force of our facility and local community came together to support a culture of waste reduction and redistribution,” said Elizabeth Masteller, Environment Health & Safety Manager at Danone North America’s Minster, Ohio plant, which produces popular yogurt brands including Activia®, Danimals®, and Oikos®. “In 2021 alone, we sent more than 2,500 tons of waste to ShurGreen Farms to be transformed into renewable energy, crop nutrition, and animal feed, while repurposing product packaging. This is an eye-opening amount of waste diverted from landfills, and a further step in our company’s One Planet. One Health frame of action.”
In 2020, only 4.8% of Danone North America’s waste was sent to landfills across its company facilities. When Zero Waste to Landfill status is fully achieved by 2025, just 1% or less will be sent to landfills. Danone North America will continue to work with all company facilities to implement processes that promote a circular economy and eradicate waste. The company is committed to using its business as a force for good and spearheading necessary education around more sustainable practices among employees and consumers, with the ultimate goal of reimagining waste.