Taylor Farms has received TRUE Platinum certification from Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), for its Guanajuato, Mexico facility. The Salinas, Calif.-based company says its facility is the first fresh food company in Mexico to receive this recognition. To date, Taylor Farms has received the TRUE Platinum certification at four facilities in North America.
“Our team in Mexico took ownership and initiative to achieve this certification in record fashion,” Wyatt Maysey, director of sustainability, Taylor Farms, said in a release. “The facility achieved the highest diversion rate in the entire Taylor Farms network and implemented innovative waste reduction practices including on-site composting and upstream reduction of packaging and single use materials. We’re excited to continue taking this success forward to additional facilities.”
Facilities achieve TRUE certification by meeting a specific number of credit requirements and reaching at least 90% overall waste diversion from landfill for 12 consecutive months, according to the release. Taylor Farms said its facility in Guanajuato achieved a diversion rate of over 98% in 2021. By implementing material management practices, the facility diverted over 1,700 tons of material — including cardboard, plastic, organics, wood scrap and metal — from landfills.
Prior to the certification of the Guanajuato facility, three Taylor Farms facilities in Monterey County achieved the highest level of TRUE certification through a focus on diverting over 90% of materials from landfills, incinerators and the environment, said the company.
“Businesses must go beyond our current wasteful practices and think critically about how to redesign processes so that less waste is produced in the first place,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO of U.S. Green Building Council and GBCI. “Implementing zero waste business practices requires rethinking, retraining, new tools and strong leadership to change current waste systems. With Taylor Farms’ leadership in this endeavor, they are making great strides for their employees, community and consumers at large.”
