First-Ever Fresh Food Company to Receive Highest Level Certification Under TRUE Zero Waste Program

We’re honored to announce that our Gonzales, CA-based facility has achieved TRUE Platinum certification, the highest level of recognition available under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste program! Taylor Farms is the first fresh food company in the world to be awarded this recognition. We are incredibly proud of this team achievement that recognizes our leadership in sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

To receive Platinum certification, our Director of Sustainability Nicole Flewell and our Gonzales ‘Green Team,’ launched the Zero Waste program with the goal of reducing incoming materials, reusing existing materials when possible, and recycling what remains throughout the facility, achieving a 94% diversion from landfills. Our team also partnered with Measure to Improve — an organization that specializes in helping grower, shippers, packers, and processors measure, improve, and promote sustainability efforts — to get onsite support, training, and data tracking.

The Gonzales Green Team, led by Sam Chaidez, Operations Manager, Taylor Farms Gonzales, is comprised of managers from departments across the facility including production, receiving, shipping, facilities, sanitation, purchasing, and quality assurance.

Since the implementation of this Zero Waste program in April 2017, Taylor Farms Gonzales has decreased landfill contribution by 56%, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30,923 MTCO2E — equivalent to taking 6,510 cars off the road annually. In addition, Team Taylor worked with our growing partners to move to 100% reusable bins and totes, eliminating all single use and wax cartons from the supply chain.

In addition to the zero waste efforts behind this certification, our Gonzales facility utilizes a range of renewable energy sources to help meet our sustainability goals. The facility features a three-part system that includes a wind turbine, solar and cogeneration energy system. These systems together generate 4.2 MW of energy, a 90 percent energy offset, which is used to run the 192,000 sq. ft. fresh processing plant.

Taylor Farms facility in Gonzales, California

“We are very honored to receive the highest certification through the TRUE program for our Gonzales facility,” said Nicole Flewell, Director of Sustainability, Taylor Farms. “We’re striving for this level of recognition across all operations at Taylor Farms and are focused on enabling all employees with the correct tools and training to help us meet this goal.”

One of the Zero Waste initiatives at our Gonzales facility is this in-plant recyclable sorting