At Nestlé USA, we recognize our need and responsibility to actively address environmental concerns. Our ultimate environmental goal is to ensure that our company is doing its part responsibly and playing a leadership role in helping to preserve the environment.
It is our policy to utilize sound environmental, pollution prevention and control, energy conservation and recycling/solid waste management practices internally, and to develop and utilize packaging that reduces the amount of materials used, contains already recycled materials, and/or can be recycled or disposed of in environmentally sensitive ways. Our approach is practical, cost-effective and results-based.
We are committed to maintaining good environmental quality and soundness in all areas of operation at all of our company facilities. The following examples demonstrate how we are managing our business in a way that is supportive of the environment.
• At our new beverage factory in Anderson, Indiana, sustainable design was an integral part of the project. Sustainable design points include Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, waste water recovery for reuse in cooling towers, a new recyclable package, and low emission natural gas boilers.
• Two of our factories – Danville, Virginia (Confections) and Jacksonville, Illinois (Beverage) – are members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Environmental Performance Track program. Nationwide, just a few hundred facilities are part of this elite program, which recognizes leading by example through best in class environmental management systems, performance and outreach and taking extra steps to reduce and prevent pollution while improving productivity.
• Our Freehold, New Jersey beverage factory employs a unique way to capture available energy and avoid waste. The factory works with a producer of fireplace logs to turn Nestlé’s spent coffee grounds from instant coffee manufacturing into “Java Logs®.” More information on this product can be found at http://www.java-log.com
• Since 2001, our Solon, Ohio prepared foods factory has operated a boiler system designed to use landfill methane gas efficiently. Steam produced from the boiler operations is used to meet both processing and building heating needs. Approximately 90% of the plant's fuel needs are met with methane, which is collected, cleaned and cooled at a nearby landfill methane gas recovery, compression and treatment system. Rather than “flaring” (burning off) the collected methane at the landfill, this system puts otherwise lost energy to productive use and has helped Nestlé minimize the impact of natural gas price increases.
• Nestlé USA also has a multi-year program to ensure that all of our factories are ISO 14001 certified. ISO 14001 is an independent assessment and recognition of a facility's environmental and safety programs and systems. The intention of ISO 14001 is to provide a framework for a holistic, strategic approach to an organization’s environmental policy, plans and actions.
• Learn more about Nestlé's corporate social responsibility and environmental programs.