(BPT) - By Gopi Sandhu, vice president of Environmental Sustainability at Nestle Purina
Efforts to protect the planet are important for every creature that calls Earth home, including people and their pets. Companies and consumers must make eco-friendly changes now to ensure a lasting impact.
At Purina we are committed to the health of pets and making high-quality products for them. We are also committed to the planet that we all share. Though our climate-focused goal of achieving net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 drives much of the important work we do across our value chain, our sustainability work also includes water, packaging and biodiversity. Our experts continually look for ways to better steward the Earth's resources and reduce Purina's environmental footprint.
Ingredients and sourcing regenerative agriculture
Did you know that each ingredient used in Purina's products is chosen specifically to meet the nutritional needs of pets based on their health and life stage? Purina has more than 500 pet nutrition and behavior scientists, veterinarians and other credentialed pet experts on staff. For decades, these experts have been studying the nutrients our dogs and cats need, then selecting the right ingredients, like high-quality meat, grains and vegetables, to ensure that every recipe will nourish pets and taste good.
Just as important as the ingredients themselves is how they are sourced - we can trace our ingredients back to our trusted suppliers. Because these ingredients are such an important part of our environmental footprint, we are working with suppliers and sustainability partners in the regions where we source our ingredients throughout the U.S. to promote and accelerate regenerative agriculture, a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems that restores soil and ecosystem health and offers climate, water and biodiversity benefits.
Purina is investing with partners like Cargill to support farmers in the Midwest as they transition to regenerative agriculture practices. This work will support soil health and is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of the Purina grain supply from Cargill by up to 40% over the next three years.
Reduce and renew in manufacturing and logistics
Nearly all of Purina's products sold in North America are manufactured in our own facilities across the U.S. An increasing portion of our total electricity today comes from clean energy, renewable resources such as solar, hydropower, wind and investments in renewable energy. We are on track to reach our goal to have 100% renewable electricity across all of our factories and distribution centers by 2025. Our factories have been committed to reducing energy, water and waste for decades. Similarly, our transportation network is now undergoing changes to increase the use of low carbon fuels and electric vehicles.
Recycle and reuse in packaging
Today, more than 90% of Purina's packaging is designed for recycling, and we continue to look for ways to transition the rest of our packaging to recyclable solutions, while also working with trade organizations to promote a better recycling system in the U.S. Nearly half our Tidy Cats litter jugs are made with 60% post-consumer resin (recycled plastic), and by 2025, we'll reduce our use of virgin plastics by one-third. Together with our partners and pet owners, we can make a difference by reducing waste to landfills.
Purina's sustainability commitment
From the ingredients we source to manufacturing, transporting and packaging our products, Purina is committed to providing families with the healthiest and most nutritious foods possible for their pets, and to remaining focused on our impact on the world we all share. Pets are our passion, and there is nothing quite like the bond we get to share with them. It is our promise to continue working for a better planet today, and for future generations of people and pets.
