Sustainability Success Stories From Innovative Companies Can Be a Model for Other Businesses

03 Aug 2016 --- Success stories about reducing food waste, better water efficiency and cutting air emissions are detailed in a new Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) report highlighting examples of companies making significant sustainability strides.

The report titled Environmental Success Stories in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry, shows a wide variety of innovations across the CPG industry.

These include a Procter & Gamble wind farm being built in Texas and expected to be operational in December, a Coca-Cola developed type of plastic made from renewable plant material to replace fossil-based ingredients used to make plastic bottles. More than 30 billion of these plant bottles have already entered the market in almost 40 countries since 2009, saving more than 630,000 barrels of oil.

Another case study involves Nestlé’s investment in a “zero water” milk factory in California that doesn’t use any freshwater resources, and instead extracts the water it needs to manufacture dairy products from milk. This saves 63 million gallons of water a year.

“Companies are working every day to find innovative ways to reduce their environmental footprint and preserve natural resources while providing consumers with high-quality products,” says Pamela G Bailey, president and CEO of GMA.

“The examples in this report can be a model for others on how companies can deliver on their commitment to sustainability by innovating to reduce their environmental footprint and preserve national resources, changing operations to reduce food waste, save energy or cut water usage.”

Each example detailed in the report shows innovations in technology, processes or approaches that yield a quantifiable return on investment. The report is the third edition of GMA’s biennial Environmental Success Stories and was complied with the help of sustainability experts and a leading accounting firm.