Kellogg's Meets Waste Goal 5 Years Early

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Kellogg Company has already met a goal to reduce its waste to landfill rate by 20 percent from 2010 to 2015, against a 2009 baseline, according to the company’s third global Corporate Responsibility Report.

The company reports that in 2010 it reduced waste sent to landfill, per metric ton of food produced, by 20.3 percent. Kellogg’s said that more than 93 percent of its waste is recycled or used for animal feed or energy production.

It is the second time in a row that Kellogg's has beat a waste goal by several years. In 2009, the company exceeded a goal of a 20 percent waste reduction by 2015, compared to a 2005 baseline.

Among the reductions in 2010, the company’s Taloja plant in India reduced its food and packaging waste by 67 percent. Kellogg’s said the improvements at that plant also decreased facility downtime by 40 percent, due to preventative maintenance, and saved the company nearly $1 million.

The Kellogg’s plants in Omaha, Neb.; Battle Creek, Mich.; and Seelyville, Ind., together cut waste to landfill by 59 percent from 2009 to 2010, by installing additional balers to recycle items formerly thrown away. And Kellogg’s said its Querétaro, Linares and Toluca plants in Mexico increased their recycling 51 percent after placing easily accessible recycling containers throughout their facilities.

Overall, Kellogg’s has reduced its waste to landfill per metric ton of food produced by 51 percent since 2005, the company said. Nearly half of Kellogg’s facilities worldwide send five percent or less of their waste to landfill, the report said, and the company said it will continue to strive for zero waste to landfill.

Last month, rival General Mills announced that it cut solid waste generation by 33 percent between 2006 and 2010, compared to a 2005 baseline, smashing a 15 percent reduction target.

The Kellogg's report said that in 2010, global energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions both rose in absolute terms - by 0.5 percent and 1.7 percent - and both fell in relative terms. Energy use per metric ton of food produced fell by 1.6 percent, and GHG emissions per metric ton of food fell by 0.7 percent.

Kellogg’s reduced its water use per metric ton of food produced by 3.6 percent in 2010, and by 14 percent since 2005. The company joined the Carbon Disclosure Project’s new Water Disclosure program last year.

Also last year, Kellogg’s launched a water risk assessment process using the Global Water Tool from the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. The results will help the company identify and prioritize facility-specific risks, monitor projected trends and evaluate regional conditions, the report said.

In 2010 Kellogg’s implemented a new environmental and safety management software system called Kellogg Cares About People and Planet (K-CAPP). The company says that K-CAPP standardizes audit and compliance management relating to environmental and health and safety programs, as well as incident management and reporting, across all Kellogg’s sites.

K-CAPP is fully aligned with ISO 14001, Kellogg’s says. As of December 2010, five Kellogg’s facilities were ISO 14001-certified.

The corporate responsibility report uses Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Guidelines, and is reporting at GRI-checked application level “B”.

Environment + Energy Leader