Lundberg Family Farms Awarded Platinum Zero Waste Facility Certification

The U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC) awarded Lundberg Family Farms with the platinum certification plaque for its achievement in successfully diverting 99.6 percent of its waste from landfill, incineration and the environment. USZWBC audited the Zero Waste diversion processes at Lundberg Family Farms in Richvale, Calif. and found that the facility is successfully reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting at an unprecedented rate.
“Our certification program holds to the highest standards and is one of the toughest in the country, so reaching the platinum level is a great accomplishment,” said Stephanie Barger, founder and executive director of USZWBC. “Lundberg Family Farms is so efficient with their Zero Waste management, and yet they are still striving to achieve an even higher standard, which is inspiring.”
The goal of businesses participating in the Zero Waste Certification program is to divert all end-use material from landfill, incineration and the environment, while achieving a minimum of 90 percent diversion based on the standards set by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA). Lundberg Family Farms is exceeding this by 9.6 percent.
“From day one, Lundberg Family Farms has been a commitment to sustainable farming practices and working in a partnership with nature to conserve the earth’s resources,” said Jessica Lundberg, Vice President of Administration at Lundberg Family Farms. “Thanks to the hard work of our employees, that commitment extends beyond our fields and into each of Lundberg’s facilities. It is an honor to be recognized as a Platinum Zero Waste Business by the US Zero Waste Business Council.”
Though the Lundberg Family Farms Richvale facility has successfully achieved the highest level of certification, there is still more to be accomplished by increasing diversion, implementing upstream policies and total participation from all employees, vendors and customers. By working towards these high-level Zero Waste objectives, the business manages its resources more efficiently and economically.
“Lundberg’s leadership and training programs for employees is top notch with acceptance of the importance of zero waste by all levels within the company from the very top executives all the way to the employees on the floor,” said Cheri Chastain, USZWBC board member, “Truly something all businesses should aspire to!”
To date, the Lundberg Family Farms facility has excelled in:

• Achieving a 99.6% diversion from landfill rate for fiscal year 2015.
• Saving $1,099,412.80 through its zero waste efforts.
• Topnotch employee leadership and trainings program, with acceptance of the importance of zero waste by all levels from top executives to employees on the floor.