Mission
To provide our customers with the safest and highest quality products while also establishing sustainability priorities that maximize operating efficiencies in all business areas. We are committed to supporting a greener future through our farming, harvesting and processing operations.
Executive Summary
As a leader within the fresh produce industry, we want to responsibly manage our overall environmental impact. We’re proud of our accomplishments – –
- Ippolito was the first company in Monterey County, California to achieve two TRUE Gold Zero Waste certifications from Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI). (And, we’re working on our third!)
- All three of our production facilities have an impressive aggregate diversion rate of 97.86% (as of January 2020).
- We actively engage our employees in our efforts, through regular training, in Zero Waste and recycling programs.
- We focus on keeping our waste out of the landfill. Through this, we’ve achieved an environmental impact equal to carbon emissions reduction of 299,839 gallons of gasoline, or, looked at another way, we’ve conserved the equivalent of 145 households’ worth of annual energy consumed.
Reuse
- Participate in a wood pallet pooling program which reduces the need for new pallet purchases
- Avoided 762 tons of virgin wood after only one use
- Moved to reusable plastic totes and bins to reduce the need for cardboard and one time use containers
- Avoided 84 tons of virgin plastic materials after only one use
Waste Diversion
- Recycled 219 tons of mixed recyclables saving an estimated 3,642 cubic yards of landfill
- Diverted 3,595 tons of culls (organic bi-product)
- Increased landfill diversion rate by 20% from 2016-2017
Leadership
- Taking the lead in sustainability, Ippolito was the first to achieve two Gold Zero Waste TRUE certifications in the Salinas Valley.
Zero Waste Purchasing
- Enrolled in Office Depot’s Greener Office program
- Transitioned to 50% recycled content for all printer and copy paper used in our offices
- Created an Environmentally Preferred Purchasing (EPP) policy that opened communication channels with suppliers to collaboratively reduce packaging
Hazardous Waste Management
- Established strict practices to ensure the proper handling and disposal of hazardous materials, creating a safe workplace for our employees and protecting our environment
About Zero Waste
According to the Zero Waste International Alliance (www.zwiag.org), Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water, or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.
