by Jonathan Green

It’s hard to believe we’re approaching one full year since the launch of our Amazing Starts with Me program. It’s been a pleasure to recognize and honor our team’s accomplishments in our pillar areas and to celebrate those pillars through quarterly events. It was fun to see everyone rally behind the People, Food and Animals events, and I’m thrilled that we are now turning our attention to our Planet pillar.

Our incredible team, animals and the food we produce are incredibly important for the success of Wayne Farms, so is our duty to do everything we can to ensure we’re operating in a way that benefits our environment.

This spring, we’re celebrating our firm commitment to sustainability with two events. For Earth Day, our team will be given seed cards that they can plant at their home or in their community. These flowers not only brighten our surroundings, but help remove pollutants from the air and attract pollinators, like butterflies and bees.

For the entire quarter, our teams will participate in an office clean-out with a focus on recycling or repurposing materials. As part of the spring cleaning, the facility that recycles the most (by weight), the individual who recycles the most unique item and the individual who finds the most creative way to repurpose an item will be awarded with sustainable branded merchandise to keep.

While the pillar events are a fun way to help our planet, our commitment to sustainability goes far beyond that. In 2017, we set rigorous goals to reduce our waste, emissions and water usage. These goals include 50% diversion from landfills at all facilities, reducing greenhouse gas intensity by 10% at all facilities and reusing 15% of our water at all facilities. Our planet is the only home we have, so it’s crucial we do our part to protect it.