Proud to be part of a business that leads in sustainability practices

As we approach the 49^th Earth Day, I’m reminded of how we’ve made efforts to protect our planet and yet, how far we still need to go. In Denver, we are fortunate to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who value our pristine outdoors and regularly take steps to protect our environment for future generations. From a business perspective, Denver is home to many companies that also value, and protect the outdoors, factoring in environmental impact when making business decisions.

As Americans value a commitment to sustainability from the companies they buy from, it’s no surprise businesses are adopting practices that minimize their impact on the global environment. In fact, according to a 2018 Nielsen report on Global Corporate Sustainability, 81% of consumers feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. Millennials are the most supportive of corporate social responsibility efforts, but the growing passion is evident among all generations.

I’m proud to work for a company committed to being good stewards of our planet. Since last spring, I have been the factory manager for Purina’s Denver operations. Our sustainability efforts are factored in at every stage of the product life cycle – we strive to use resources efficiently from the time we source ingredients for the pet foods we make here in Denver and across the U.S., to how we make and package our products, and all the steps in between.

As the city of Denver works toward a goal of reducing its carbon emissions, we at Purina are doing our part to place sustainability at the heart of our business strategy in Denver and across the U.S. Recently, Purina in Denver was honored to be named a finalist for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Green Business of the Year award.

A few highlights for the Denver facility include reducing water consumption in our clean-up process by 20 percent; continuously promoting responsible water use and making significant strides in water efficiency; maintaining zero waste for disposal status since 2017; and transitioning to ozone friendly refrigerants.

Additionally, in 2009, the Denver Purina factory became the first-ever U.S. pet food factory to utilize solar energy. Since then, the company has been increasing the use of clean, renewable energy to help power our facilities where we make our pet care products.

Packaging is critical for a variety of reasons, from preserving the safety and quality of our pet food, treats and cat litter, to preventing food waste, maintaining shelf life and providing information for pet owners. It’s also critical that our packaging doesn’t end up in landfills or as litter. That’s why we’re committed to making 100 percent of our packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025. Today, packaging for 80 percent of Purina’s products in the United States are already recyclable.

What’s best for pets and the planet means being able to make healthy and high-quality nutrition that dogs and cats love while also helping protect the environment and precious natural resources. We know that making our pet food sustainably today is critical to ensuring people and pets share a healthy world tomorrow – we make sure that every ingredient has a healthy supply, that it’s sustainable long-term and that the supplier is implementing safety and environmental practices that align with our standards. We invest with farmers and organizations that preserve soil and promote sufficient, clean water, biodiversity and other factors that create healthy ingredients and a healthy ecosystem.

All these actions are an investment in our future, so we can continue making high-quality and nutritious pet foods for many years to come; it’s also an investment in a healthy planet, healthy people and healthy pets.

We’re a company of full of passionate pet lovers. Our pets serve as a constant inspiration to relentlessly pursue breakthrough innovations and are what drives our team in Denver to make high quality, safe and nutritious products, while being responsible stewards of the natural resources we use.

On Earth Day, I am proud to work for a company that believes in being good to its employees, its consumers (especially the four-legged ones) and the planet.