Sustainability top of mind in Twin Cities

Sustainability is top of mind among produce suppliers, growers and distributors in the Twin Cities area, even though buyers may not specifically demand it.

“There’s always been pressure on the produce industry for sustainability,” said Mark Remold, director of purchasing for Minneapolis-based G.O. Fresh.

“You want to be sustainable,” he said.

So far, though, no customers have insisted that their suppliers implement specific sustainable practices.

Most companies have sustainability in mind when handling waste and using environmentally friendly packaging, he said,

“I think everybody is pretty good about that.”

G.O. Fresh also looks for varieties of fruits and vegetables that offer good yields and produce less waste, Remold said.

“It all comes down to money, the more you waste, the more you spend,” he said. “You definitely want to be sustainable to keep your costs down.”

Little Canada, Minn.-based Bix Produce Co. uses recyclable packaging whenever possible, works to conserve water and uses energy-efficient lighting, said CEO Alejandro Montoya.

The company considered installing solar panels but determined that a solar system was not efficient for its operation.

Bix Produce does send food items that don’t get used or are not sold to pig farms, where they’re used as feed.

“(Sustainability) is not a prevalent message that we get, but everybody wants that, including us,” he said.

Customers may want their suppliers to use sustainable practices, but no one seems to require sustainability as a condition of doing business with Ben Holmes Potato Inc., Becker, Minn., said owner Kevin Olson.

Walmart has showed an interest in recyclable paper bags, but the retailer has not demanded that suppliers use them, Olson said.

One of the company’s growers has installed solar panels, he said. Growers also try to buy the most fuel-efficient tractors, conserve water and have implemented other sustainable practices.

“(Sustainability) is always top of mind, especially with a lot of the smaller farmers and our end customer base,” said James Collins, senior director of supply chain for Co-op Partners Warehouse, St. Paul, Minn.

There is a major focus on practices such as composting, recycling and minimizing packaging, he said.

The company is running tests of reusable boxes with a current supplier.

Supermarkets return the cartons to the farm to be cleaned and used again, he said.

Such a program would save money on corrugated and wax boxes while reducing waste and adding an element of sustainability, Collins said.

Co-op Partners Warehouse also has a composting program for product that has surpassed its shelf life instead of relegating it to the landfill, he said. And product that is good but not salable at supermarkets is donated to food banks.

The co-op also has built a cross dock program to help reduce emissions.

The company partners with local farms to make one consolidated delivery versus making multiple deliveries.

And the co-op is trying to find more regional partners to fill product demands, which would contribute to sustainability by reducing miles traveled, he said.

 “The more we can consolidation shipments, the more we can reduce the number of miles we have to drive and the amount of emissions that are produced,” Collins said.