Better Planet
Goals
- Reduce our environmental footprint by 50% by 2025 (2014 baseline)
- Execute on our SBTs: 30% absolute reduction for Scope 1 & 2 emissions and 30% intensity reduction (per 1,000 kg of product produced) for Scope 3 emissions (2014 baseline)
- Reduce food waste arising from our operations by 50% by 2025 (2016 baseline)
- Finalize and implement our sustainable packaging strategy in 2020
- Begin the process of renovating our current supplier code and broader sourcing strategy
2019 Highlights
- Became the first major food company in the world to be carbon neutral
- Finalized our carbon management strategy in 2019 and set science-based targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
- Reduced the intensity of our environmental footprint since 2014 by: (21.8)% Electricity; (9.8)% Natural Gas; (16.7)% Water; (19.2)% Solid Waste
- Utilized intermodal transport so that it accounted for 83% of our cross-country resupply
- Conducted food loss/waste assessments at four of our facilities in 2019
We have an aggressive goal of reducing the intensity of our environmental footprint by 50% by 2025, and new absolute and intensity-based science-based targets (SBTs) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Reducing Our Environmental Footprint
Today’s food system includes everything involved in feeding people and animals, including all steps in the food supply chain, from growing and harvesting to processing, trading, marketing, distribution, consumption and disposal. A healthy food system is one with inclusive outcomes for healthy people and a healthy planet, and of course, healthy businesses. One of the greatest challenges for the food system is to meet the increasing global demand for food while dramatically decreasing the environmental footprint of food production, as agriculture accounts for approximately 25% to 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock is the world’s largest user of land resources, with pasture and land dedicated to the production of feed representing almost 80% of total agricultural land. Agriculture also uses approximately one-third of the world’s fresh water.
We have big, bold goals to reduce our environmental footprint by 50% by 2025. Our bold intensity (per metric tonne of production) goals are driven by the passion of our people to reduce our impact on the environment and contribute to the sustainable growth of our business.
Since our baseline year of 2014, we have made significant progress in reducing our environmental footprint:
Total Energy Intensity
12.3% reduction
Electricity Intensity
21.8% reduction
Natural Gas Intensity
9.8% reduction
Water Intensity
16.7% reduction
Solid Waste Reduction Intensity
19.2% reduction
90.7% landfill diversion rate
SBTs (Scope 1 & 2 Emissions) Absolute Reduction
0.5% reduction (CO2e)
Note: Performance measured from 2014 baseline with the exception of solid waste, which is a 2015 baseline, and SBTs (Scope 1 & 2), which are a 2018 baseline.
2019 Performance Summary Tablei
A detailed summary of our energy, water and waste usage, as well as our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2019, can be found in our environmental footprint performance summary represented in the table below:
| Parameter | 2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Energy (MWh)1 |
1,081,485 |
1,094,667 |
1,087,042 |
1,057,901 |
1,097,429 |
1,182,622 |
Direct Energy – Natural Gas (m3)2 |
62,678,340 |
63,579,425 |
61,208,051 |
58,813,278 |
61,407,738 |
66,703,818 |
Indirect Energy – Electricity (MWh)3 |
376,794 |
387,807 |
400,350 |
405,009 |
418,567 |
464,057 |
Water (m3)4 |
8,674,257 |
8,991,142 |
9,055,196 |
9,001,290 |
9,377,508 |
9,999,679 |
Landfill Diversion Rate (%)6 |
90.7% |
90.7% |
91.7% |
91.4% |
91.1% |
– |
| Parameter | 2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Energy (MWh)1 |
1.64 |
1.65 |
1.59 |
1.55 |
1.65 |
1.87 |
Direct Energy – Natural Gas (m3)2 |
95.01 |
95.85 |
89.58 |
86.36 |
92.29 |
105.32 |
Indirect Energy – Electricity (MWh)3 |
0.57 |
0.58 |
0.59 |
0.59 |
0.63 |
0.73 |
Water (m3)4 |
13.15 |
13.55 |
13.25 |
13.22 |
14.09 |
15.79 |
Landfill Diversion Rate (%)6 |
25.54 |
24.96 |
28.51 |
29.02 |
31.61 |
– |
| Parameter | 50% x 2025 target |
Intensity reduction |
% Reduction |
Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Energy (MWh)1 |
0.93 |
0.23 |
12.3 |
MWh/1,000 kg |
Direct Energy – Natural Gas (m3)2 |
52.66 |
10.32 |
9.8 |
m3/1,000 kg |
Indirect Energy – Electricity (MWh)3 |
0.37 |
0.16 |
21.8 |
MWh/1,000 kg |
Water (m3)4 |
7.89 |
2.64 |
16.7 |
m3/1,000 kg |
Landfill Diversion Rate (%)6 |
15.81 |
6.07 |
19.2 |
kg/1,000 kg |
| Parameter | 2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scope 1 & 2 CO2e (tonnes)5 |
366,126 |
367,876 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Parameter | 2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scope 1 & 2 CO2e (tonnes)5 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Parameter | 30% x 2030 target |
Absolute Reduction |
% Reduction |
Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scope 1 & 2 CO2e (tonnes)5 |
110,363 |
1,750 |
0.5 |
CO2e (tonnes)5 |
i. Our performance is reported consistent with our report boundary. In 2019, we have reported on entities over which Maple Leaf Foods has operational control – our processing and manufacturing facilities; distribution facilities and offices (both leased and owned buildings); and farms, barns and feed mill operations (unless otherwise indicated). In 2019, we added in our Viau Food Products Inc. and Cericola Farms Inc. acquisitions into our reporting year and we restated our footprint intensity performance back to our baseline year (2014). In 2019, we applied the GHG Protocol's updated emission factors to our GHG emissions and restated our science-based targets back to our baseline year (2018).
1. Consumption: Electricity, natural gas, water and GHG emissions (Scope 1 & 2): Energy and water consumption and GHG emissions reflect actual usage/emissions.
2. Direct energy: Direct energy represents the consumption of natural gas and is recorded on an as-billed basis for the calendar year.
3. Indirect energy: Indirect energy represents the consumption of purchased electricity and is recorded on an as-billed basis for the calendar year.
4. Water: Water consumption is recorded on an as-billed basis for the calendar year.
5. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: GHG emissions are measured in units of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). GHG emissions related to total energy were calculated using the most recent emission factors available from Environment Canada’s National Inventory Report 1990–2017, the Climate Registry 2019 General Reporting Protocol USA Industrial Sector and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) 2018. Scope 1 sources include natural gas, propane, number 6 fuel oil, our corporate car fleet, Maple Leaf Foods-owned trucks and shunt trucks, animal emissions and manure management, renewable natural gas, and CO2 used in process and refrigerants. Scope 2 sources include electricity and green power. Scope 3 emissions are currently not included in our intensity calculations.
6. Landfill diversion rate (%): Represents the amount of waste diverted from our operations away from landfill in %. Waste intensity: Represents the amount of waste disposed at landfill (kg) per 1,000 kg of production. Landfill diversion rate and intensity: Established by a consolidation of the results of representative third-party, non-hazardous solid waste audits and measured performance of our landfill diversion initiatives. Maple Leaf Foods has a recycling process in place for empty toner, e-waste and batteries. Due to data limitations, the weight for these recycled materials was not included in our landfill diversion rate calculation. 2015 is our baseline year for waste diversion.
7. Intensity: Represents the individual performance measure per 1,000 kg of production (finished product). To avoid double counting, finished product does not include product volumes sold between Maple Leaf Foods business groups.
Environmental Footprint Performance Summary
Since 2014, we have been progressing toward our environmental footprint reduction targets. We achieved significant reductions on all our environmental performance measures in 2015 and 2016, resulting from third-party utility audits we implemented at each facility, and the development and implementation of environmental sustainability action plans that were created for each of our facilities. Key projects implemented included a national LED lighting retrofit program, heat recovery projects, water conservation/reuse opportunities, and organics diversion and recycling programs. Most of these projects also drove capital investment at each facility to sustain our environmental performance into the future.
By the end of 2017, our performance on natural gas and water started to plateau, and by the end of 2018, only electricity usage and solid waste remained ahead of our plan. In 2019, we fell slightly further behind our plan. However, we did achieve annual reductions in consumption: (2.8)% for electricity, (1.4)% for natural gas and (3.5)% for water over the previous year. Our reductions would have been much greater if not for the increased footprint we gained from our acquisitions of Cericola Farms Inc. and Viau Food Products Inc.
We recognize that much more work needs to be done to get back on track and achieve our goals. In 2019, we commenced re-auditing our facilities to update their environmental sustainability action plans and working with local partners on conservation programs. For example, our partnership with Enbridge/Union Gas at our Heritage facility yielded significant results, including a reduction of approximately 540,000 m3 of natural gas. Key projects included steam trap repairs, heat recovery projects and a boiler overhaul. Successes from these projects are being shared with all other facilities.
2019 was also a milestone year for Maple Leaf Foods as we finalized our carbon management strategy and set science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets (SBTs) approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Our SBTs are the most ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets in our industry. We also became the first major food company in the world to become carbon neutral.
To meet our SBTs, we are in the process of developing comprehensive GHG emissions reduction plans for our Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions. Since a significant amount of our Scope 1 & 2 emissions are produced by the fuels and electricity consumed at our facilities, our reduction plans will identify transformative energy reduction opportunities that will assist in meeting our 50% x 2025 goals as well as our SBTs. We are excited about the potential opportunities for environmental footprint reduction for our Company.
Environmental Sustainability Action Plans
Our utility auditing and action plan development process has identified many common energy, water and waste reduction opportunities that we have classified as a priority due to their high return on investment and positive impact on reducing our environmental footprint. The chart here provides a breakdown of the types of findings that were prioritized as part of the utility audits conducted from 2015 to 2019, as well as seven Food Loss & Waste audits which were initiated in 2018 and 2019.
An action plan tracker to measure how each plant is progressing in meeting reduction targets is also utilized and updated quarterly.
We are actively working on energy, water and solid waste projects that were prioritized using an effort–impact matrix. The key determinants used in this exercise included implementation of capital, timing and human resource requirements concerning effort. Savings generated, the number of utilities impacted and greenhouse gas reduction are the criteria used to score impact.
Our utility auditing and action plan development process has identified many common energy, water and waste reduction opportunities that we have classified as a priority due to their high return on investment and positive impact on reducing our environmental footprint. These include LED lighting retrofits, equipment upgrades, heat recovery projects, water reuse opportunities, organics diversion from landfill and other similar projects.
We are also continually investigating and piloting innovative initiatives such as solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage technology, thermal heat recovery on our ammonia systems, geothermal heating and cooling, and water reuse opportunities at our plants.
Overall, our auditing and action plan program has improved the quality of our environmental data and enhanced our understanding of our performance, cost savings and footprint reduction opportunities.
Our Stories
Carbon and Energy
Maple Leaf Foods announced on November 7, 2019 that we have become the first major food company in the world to be carbon neutral. We have become carbon neutral by aggressively reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and investing in high-impact environmental projects to neutralize our remaining and currently unavoidable emissions.
As of November 2019, we were one of just three animal protein companies globally and the only food company in Canada to set Science Based Targets that are aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Importantly, Science-Based Targets require that we reduce our emissions even as we grow.
We are on a mission to be the most sustainable protein company on earth. We recognize that creating nutrient-dense protein like ours takes resources, and today, we are proud to replenish the environment in equal measure.
What It Means to Be Carbon Neutral
Michael McCain, President and CEO, explains the importance of being the world’s first major carbon neutral food company.
Randy Huffman, Chief Food Safety and Sustainability Officer, explains what it means to be carbon neutral.
Curtis Frank, President and Chief Operating Officer, shares his sense of pride in working for a company that has achieved a bold goal like carbon neutrality.
A look at Maple Leaf Foods and its sustainability commitments that lead us to become the first major carbon neutral food company.
Carbon Inventory
Total Emission Sources
- SCOPE 1 – 19.9%
- SCOPE 2 – 1.7%
- SCOPE 3 – 78.4%
(C02 stunning and Refrigerant)
from fuel and energy
prepared meat, Fresh pork
and fresh poultry products
Maple Leaf Foods products
(road, sea
and Rail)
materials
(Natural gas,
fuel oil
and Propane)
contracted grower
(Hog and Poultry)
production
In technical terms, emissions can be categorized into three different types:
Scope 1: All direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under Maple Leaf Foods operational control
Scope 2: Indirect GHG emissions from consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam
Scope 3: Indirect GHG emissions not covered in Scope 1 and 2 that occur throughout the supply chain
What Science-Based Targets Have We Set?
Maple Leaf Foods has pledged to reduce our absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by 2030 from a 2018 base year. We produce these emissions directly in our operations and from the electricity we purchase.
We have also pledged to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions by 30% per tonne of product produced over the same period. These emissions are produced in our supply chain, including raw materials, feed and ingredients we purchase and consume, and emissions associated with packaging, plus distribution of our products.
Our Journey
Becoming carbon neutral is Maple Leaf Foods latest, bold step on its sustainability journey. Since 2015, we have significantly advanced against our environmental footprint reduction target of 50% by 2025, one of the most aggressive intensity reduction targets in the food industry. We are achieving this by realizing efficiency gains of projects we have implemented across our network, investing in technology and rigorous monitoring.
To neutralize our remaining emissions, we are investing in high-quality, credible and verifiable projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to bring our net carbon footprint to zero.
We have come far on our sustainability journey and are committed to continue to lead in critical efforts to fight global warming and to protect the planet.
Maple Leaf Foods appoints Lynda Kuhn, a member of our Senior Leadership Team, to create a company-wide sustainability program.
Maple Leaf Foods embraces the message “you manage what you measure” and sets big, bold goals for the company in key sustainability areas including nutrition, animal care, our people and communities. We set the boldest intensity-based environmental goal in our industry: 50% environmental footprint reduction by 2025.
Maple Leaf Foods brings on board Tim Faveri, VP of Sustainability & Shared Value, to oversee our efforts to become a more efficient and environmentally friendly operator. We also retained an independent engineering firm to audit all our operations to identify improvements in energy, water and solid waste and create an action plan for each facility to reduce its footprint.
Maple Leaf Foods focuses on a multi-phase national program to convert all lighting at facilities to energy efficient LEDs. We also launched heat-recovery projects to capture excess heat generated by compressors, boilers and other equipment and use it to pre-heat water and send to other parts of facilities where more heat is needed. We also began to explore other opportunities like geothermal heating and cooling, solar energy, battery storage, and hybrid and electrical vehicle use.
Maple Leaf Foods completes phase 1 of our national lighting retrofit program and launches phase 2. We continued to focus on our utility usage by implementing a robust utility management system to monitor utility consumption and measure our environmental performance at each facility. This system houses all data which is analyzed to target further reduction strategies.
Maple Leaf Foods completes phase 2 of our national lighting retrofit program and begins to expand the efforts to barns and distribution facilities. We also continued our partnership with a local biodigestion company that accepts organic waste and turns it into renewable energy. We begin the development of a comprehensive carbon management strategy.
Maple Leaf Foods commences re-audits of our largest facilities to assess the impact of the projects we implemented since 2015 and identify additional opportunities to further reduce our environmental footprint. We begin developing a formal feasibility review of anaerobic biodigestion technology to capture methane at our facilities and from pig manure at our barns.
7 November 2019: Maple Leaf Foods is the first major food company in the world to be carbon neutral! We were able to achieve carbon neutrality by aggressively reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, committing to Science-Based Targets for even further reductions and investing in environmental projects that offset remaining GHG emissions, bringing our net footprint to zero today.
Maple Leaf Foods is supporting 10 high-impact, environmental projects to neutralize our remaining, unavoidable emissions. These projects are located throughout Canada and the U.S., and many are near the locations where our facilities and barns operate.
This certificate of allocation details our investments in the Verified Emission Reduction projects. This certificate of allocation details our investments in Renewable Energy Credits.
Learn more about our projects by clicking on each of the boxes below.
Reducing Our Freight Kilometres
We have been optimizing our logistics program since 2011 in an effort to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. All our work has resulted in Maple Leaf Foods eliminating over 8,546,000 km of truck transportation, resulting in a reduction of 9,170 tonnes of GHG emissions.
Optimizing our inbound and outbound logistics program has been one of our efforts to get our product from one point to another in an efficient manner while keeping in mind our environmental footprint.
Here’s how we optimized our logistics program:
- Shipping full pallets in a single trip helped us reduce the overall number of trips and trucks on the road
- Consolidation of orders
- Adherence to shipping schedules
Another part of our logistics program that is positively impacting our environmental footprint reduction has been our focus on increasing the use of intermodal transport. In 2018, we increased our use of intermodal transport for our cross-country resupply to 85.5%. In 2019, our intermodal transportation decreased to 82.9% largely due to a CN Rail strike and an increase in customer fill rate challenges. Since 2011, we have eliminated over 8,546,000 km of truck transportation, resulting in a reduction of 9,170 tonnes of GHG emissions.
Manure Management at Maple Leaf Foods
Pig manure contains valuable macro and micro nutrients that promote soil health. There are many factors that affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock manure, including temperature, oxygen level (aeration) and moisture.
The type of manure, for example coming from livestock, and how the manure is handled (i.e., piled or managed in anaerobic lagoons) and stored can also contribute to GHG emissions.
Good manure management is essential for minimizing GHG emissions caused by microbial activities during manure decomposition.
The majority of Maple Leaf Foods pig farms are located in Manitoba, where we work with local farmers to recycle manure from the animals we raise. Pig manure contains valuable macro and micro nutrients that promote soil health, so we manage the manure in outdoor lagoons until we can deliver it to local farms for use as organic fertilizer.
Certified agrologists prepare a manure management plan for each of our farms, and registers them with the Province of Manitoba. Once the plan is approved, the manure is applied to the land of local farms based on what nutrients currently exist in the soil, what nutrients are in the manure and the nutrient requirements of the crop. It is only applied at predetermined rates and times of the year to ensure the nutrients are fully incorporated into the soil to prevent runoff.
Manure is valuable and we don’t want to waste it. We know it must be applied at the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities. At Maple Leaf Foods, we are responsibly recycling manure and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Using manure as fertilizer is nutrient recycling at its best!
The Province of Manitoba has a comprehensive manure management program that ensures manure is used appropriately as fertilizer. Proper manure management is essential for any agricultural operation because improper use can lead to negative impacts on the environment.
Watch the video “Manure Matters” from Manitoba Pork for more detailed information.
Employee Carpooling Program
Maple Leaf Foods has partnered with Commute Ontario, a province-wide program designed to encourage commuters to adopt healthy and sustainable transportation options. Our employees can sign up with Carpool Ontario and search for people to carpool with. They also have great tools that allow our employees to set goals, track and monitor progress, and convert the distance travelled into greenhouse gas emissions saved.
Since the program’s inception, our employees have logged 2,200 carpooling trips and a total of 71,846 km. To date, we have avoided 9.1 tonnes of CO2 emissions through carpooling.
Learn more about Commute Ontario
Reducing Natural Gas Consumption Across Our Operations
Water
By the end of 2017, our water consumption had started to increase across our business for a variety of reasons, including the addition of our new Field Roast Grain Meat Co.™ facility and multiple line/facility expansions at other facilities to increase production. In 2018 and 2019, we implemented several water conservation projects across our operations and reduced our water consumption by 381,000 m3 from 2017 levels.
We are still not satisfied with our performance on water efficiency. We recognize that much more work needs to be done to get back on track and achieve our 2025 goals. In 2019, we commenced re-auditing of our key operations to update our action plans and identify any further opportunities for reduction and efficiencies.
Conserving Water Across Our Operations
We have been re-auditing our key operations and implementing processes across our facilities that help us reduce our water consumption. Click on the photos to learn more.
Solid Waste
Solid Waste Audits
Our solid waste audits weigh solid waste components that are generated, recovered, recycled and disposed of at each facility.
We conduct solid waste audits annually at the majority of our facilities through our established waste management vendors. Depending on the year, we may need to rely on audits at representative facilities. We combine our audit results with data measured from individual waste diversion initiatives at each site to establish our overall landfill diversion rate.
Similar to how we prioritize our utility audit findings, we conducted an effort–impact analysis of the opportunities to assess execution and prioritization. We assessed impact according to the findings’ contribution to the waste reduction stream, as well as savings. The effort analysis was based on the availability of municipal infrastructure, capital investment, timing and human resource requirements.
From our audits, we determined that the following three areas provide opportunities for improvement in our waste diversion rates: organics, plastics and paper.
Our biggest opportunity continues to be the diversion of organic sludge from our Brandon wastewater facility, which will significantly improve our overall landfill diversion rate.
Life Cycle Assessment
We conducted a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of our products to gain an insight into the relationships between the various production phases and their relative environmental impact(s).
Environmental Impact of Maple Leaf Bacon (375 g)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed Production | Pig Raising | Transport | Processing and Prepared Meats Facilities | Distribution | Retail | Use and Packaging End-of-Life | |
Climate Change |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fine particulate matter formation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fossil resource scarcity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land use |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Water use |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Life cycle assessment of Maple Leaf bacon prepared by Ecofys, a Navigant company, finalized in 2018. In the graphic above, the size of the circle is proportional to the magnitude of the impact.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to identify and prioritize initiatives that will further reduce the environmental impacts of the product that is assessed. We conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) of one of our products, Maple Leaf bacon (375 g product), according to the requirements of ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
As the results show in the graphic, environmental impacts occur throughout the entire pork production chain, with the most significant impacts coming from feed production and pig raising.
The study highlighted several recommendations that will help Maple Leaf Foods realize a significant reduction in our environmental impact. Optimizing feed composition, considering different transportation modes and investigating ways for further reduction of methane emissions from barns are among the recommendations.
Reducing Food Waste
We are committed to reducing food waste arising from our operations by 50% by 2025. That’s why we’ve implemented a rigorous process to define and measure “food loss/waste” using the Food Loss Waste Protocol, and are investigating how food loss and waste are impacting our business.
We are committed to reducing food waste arising from our operations by 50% by 2025 (2016 baseline) and investigating how food loss and waste are impacting our entire supply chain.
In 2019, we engaged in a rigorous process to define food loss and waste using the Food Loss Waste Protocol developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI). We conducted food loss/waste audits at four sites and worked to establish a baseline for each of our operating units. Due to our vertically integrated business model, we determined that the majority of food waste occurs within our prepared meats and distribution centre facilities.
In 2020, we will conduct additional food loss/waste audits to help us develop a consistent standard to collect data and identify opportunities for improvement.
We are proud of the progress we have made to date on solid waste reduction. However, we still must work to ensure that food waste and other organics from our facilities do not end up in landfill.
Since 2016, we have diverted over 16,665 metric tonnes of organics from our Ontario facilities to StormFisher Environmental in London, Ontario. Through bio-digestion, this volume of waste has produced over 6,938,700 kWh of green electricity, prevented over 7,575 metric tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere and produced 1,136 metric tonnes of organic fertilizer.
Eliminating Waste in Our Supply Chain
To transport our products, we have partnered with CHEP, a provider of reusable pallets that are built from 99.7% certified lumber (PEFC and FSC certifications). Every time we use one of CHEP’s reusable pallets, rather than one-way packaging, we eliminate waste and improve efficiency. Over 10 years, we have reduced substantial environmental impacts:
| BARRELS OF OIL | KG OF SOLID WASTE | MILLION BTUs OF ENERGY | TONNES OF CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,228 | 513,601 | 24,525 | 388 |
To realize our vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth, we work with partners who share our determination to relentlessly eliminate waste, reduce our environmental footprint and improve efficiency throughout our supply chain.
One of those partners is CHEP, a provider of top-quality shared and reusable pallets. Our longstanding partnership has demonstrated the benefits of CHEP’s circular business model and the value of working with an industry leader who shares our determination to create a better planet.
From start to finish, CHEP pallets reduce our environmental impact. CHEP pallets are built from 99.7% certified lumber (PEFC and FSC certifications). The CHEP network is designed to eradicate empty transport miles, helping us reduce emissions and freight kilometres. The benefits of using pooled platforms continue even if a pallet is damaged, and whenever possible, CHEP repairs its platforms and returns them to its network.
When a pallet reaches the end of its usable life, CHEP doesn’t send it to a landfill. They work to find the highest value in all waste material. Solutions range from conversion of the waste wood to mulch or animal bedding, to producing particle board for the furniture industry. Every step supports CHEP’s work toward creating a Zero Waste World, a collaborative program launched by Brambles, CHEP’s parent company.
Maple Leaf Foods is proud to work with CHEP. As we continue our work to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, CHEP’s sustainable and practical solutions make our ongoing, successful partnership a natural fit. The diagram below represents CHEP’s circular model.
Waste Reduction Across Our Operations
We have been implementing waste reduction initiatives across our operations and in our facilities. Click on the photos to learn more.
Packaging
With Maple Leaf Foods’ vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth, we have been working with our suppliers and government stakeholders to improve recycling systems, and have also been working on a comprehensive sustainable packaging strategy. Our strategy will be designed to innovate and develop sustainable packaging for all our products. It will include reducing the overall amount of packaging materials used, where possible, sourcing materials with high recycled content and shifting to fully recyclable materials, over time.
“Blue Box” Program
In Canada, Maple Leaf Foods is considered a packaging steward of the household curbside recycling program of printed paper and packaging. In most Canadian jurisdictions with provincial collection programs (typically referred to as the “Blue Box” Program), costs required to collect recyclables and manage the program have been shared 50/50 between packaging stewards and municipalities. The fees (Stewardship Fees) associated with these programs are administered by the Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance (CSSA) and by Éco Entreprises Québec (EEQ). Across Canada, provinces are moving toward full producer responsibility, which means packaging stewards will eventually bear 100% of the cost of the provincial Blue Box programs.
Annually, we submit the total packaging weight of our branded products and pay fees for each packaging type as established by the CSSA and EEQ.
Partnering with TerraCycle
In 2019, we maintained our long-standing partnership with TerraCycle, a company that specializes in “recycling the unrecyclable.” For nearly a decade, TerraCycle has accepted any brand and size of our Schneiders® Lunch Mate™ packaging.
Since the program launched, over 1,300 schools across Canada have collected and recycled over three-quarters of a million (over 785,000) pieces of Lunch Mate™ packaging that would have otherwise ended up in landfills.
Supply Chain Spotlight: Sustainable Packaging
To explore sustainable packaging options for our products, we have partnered with one of our packaging suppliers, Cascades. They supply us with clear protein trays that are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic water bottles. Cascades also supplies us with containerboard boxes that are fully recyclable and are made with a majority of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified recycled fibre.
Cascades is a Canadian manufacturer of packaging and tissue products that are made with a majority of recycled content, thanks to its material recovery division. The company has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and circular economy.
Cascades proudly supplies Maple Leaf Foods with clear protein trays for many of our products. These trays are made with 100% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) post-consumer recycled plastic from water bottles.
Cascades also provides Maple Leaf Foods with containerboard boxes that are fully recyclable and are made with a majority of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified recycled fibre. All of Cascades’ products are aligned with their core values and the commitment to minimize resource use and reduce their environmental footprint.
Together, Maple Leaf Foods and Cascades are currently evaluating different options of eco-designed packaging solutions that integrate up to 100% recycled content and support a shared commitment to sustainable and recyclable packaging.
Packaging Innovations
Our focus in 2019 was on sustainable packaging, and we worked towards material reduction, post-consumer recycled content, alternative materials and consumer education.
Material Reduction
We achieved a 40% reduction in packaging material weight across Maple Leaf® branded LunchKits by replacing the paperboard sleeve with pre-printed film.
We achieved a 14% average reduction in packaging material weight across Maple Leaf Prime® Further Processed Poultry by right sizing the packaging components.
Recyclable, Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCR) and Alternative Materials
We used 100% recyclable packaging components for our Swift® Premium Chicken Mini Pot Pie.
We used 100% recyclable trays that are made with 95% post-consumer recycled content for our Maple Leaf Prime® Organic Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Lightlife™ Plant-based Burger and Greenfield™ Fresh Pork.
Consumer Education
We are the first Canadian food company to partner with How2Recycle. How2Recycle is a standardized labeling system that provides instructions for proper recycling. We are exploring collaborative opportunities with the How2Recycle program.
We are the world’s first carbon neutral food company to partner with Loop, a global circular shopping platform designed to eliminate the idea of waste by transforming products and packaging from single-use to multi-use. We are working together to support a Canadian launch of the Loop program in 2020.
Supply Chain
Learn more about our Carbon Inventory
We realized that if we want to support our vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth, we need to consider the impacts of our supply chain and develop a plan to drastically reduce our Scope 3 emissions. In 2019, we set science-based targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to reduce our Scope 3 emissions intensity (per tonne of product produced) by 30% by 2030.
Learn more about our Carbon Management Strategy and Science Based Targets.
Maple Leaf Foods’ Value Chain
Maple Leaf Foods’ value chain – farm to fork.
Value Chain – Farm to Fork
Inputs
We source North American grains for our animal feed, and we own five mills that produce rations for our pigs. We source hogs and hatching eggs from our own system and also from trusted suppliers.
Barns and Hatcheries
We own pig barns (sow, nursery and finishing barns in Manitoba) and hatcheries (in Ontario and Alberta) that supply chicks to contract producers. All are closely monitored and audited to ensure high levels of animal care.
Transportation
We transport our eggs, chickens and pigs using specially trained drivers, which helps ensure consistent animal care and reduced stress. We use new hydraulic-lift pig trailers and are piloting climate-controlled poultry trailers to further improve animal care.
Processing and Prepared Meats Facilities
Our primary processing facilities, as well as our co-manufacturers, follow strict global food safety standards. Each is monitored by dedicated inspectors and veterinarians from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Distribution
Our finished products go to one of two Canadian Maple Leaf Foods distribution centres, or directly to customers and international markets.
Grocery Retail and Foodservice
Grocery stores across Canada and the United States carry our brands, as well as private label products that we manufacture on their behalf. We also supply many major restaurants and foodservice companies.
Your Plate
At home and in restaurants throughout North America, people enjoy our high-quality, innovative products every day.
Supply Chain Highlights
Maple Leaf Foods is a member of several organizations and participates in different programs to share knowledge and advance collaboration on supply chain issues. We work with our suppliers, customers and industry stakeholders to identify opportunities to reduce our supply chain impacts. Click on the bubbles in the diagram to learn more or click here to download.
