Environmental Sustainability:
Materials Management and Recycling
Ralcorp is deeply committed to diminishing the amount of waste we send to landfills. Our divisions engage in source reduction on the “front-end,” reducing the amount of material we receive from our suppliers. On the “back-end,” we manage comprehensive recycling programs to divert material from landfills.
Source Reduction
We know the less unnecessary material we bring into our manufacturing facilities, the less we will need to handle as it exits each facility. To this end, many of our locations receive raw materials in bulk, or receive ingredients with reduced packaging, cutting down on the amount of corrugate, plastics, and other raw materials packaging that enters each facility. For example, several locations have made changes to their use of incoming pallets such as increasing their quality to extend reusable life span, auto palletizing to reduce slip sheets, and in some cases, eliminating the use of incoming pallets for selected materials and raw ingredients.
Materials Management and Recycling
Our manufacturing processes yield high production quantities, but we inevitably generate some degree waste in the process—mainly ingredients packaging and food byproduct. We recycle as much of this front-end packaging as possible. As for food byproduct, we repurpose this as animal feed for farmers, often local to each facility. Animal feed programs divert this material from landfills and municipal sewer systems, while providing a more affordable, protein and nutrient-rich feed option to farmers.
In 2009, Ralcorp enlisted the help of a third-party waste handling consultant to perform waste management and recycling audits for 32 of our manufacturing facilities. This auditor helps each location to reduce and recycle, and suggests key recommendations to help further our materials management and recycling efforts. In addition, the consultant assists Ralcorp with developing comprehensive implementation plans for enhancing our company-wide recycling programs.
A major aim of this initiative is to bring about improvements not only in the range of materials we recycle, but also the way we recycle them. For example, facilities at Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products and Ralston Foods have implemented more widespread use of balers to compress corrugate into compact units. This increases the amount of used corrugate we can store, resulting in fewer transportation loads, and increases the amount of corrugate we recycle. In addition, simple initiatives such as providing additional recycling containers at locations such as our corporate headquarters and at facilities have increased the types and amount of materials Ralcorp recycles.
Some of the materials we recycle across our supply chain include:
- Aluminum and aluminum cans
- Batteries
- Chemical drums
- Chipboard cartons
- Corrugate
- Electronic and computer equipment
- Fiber
- Food byproduct for animal feed
- Glass/glass bottles
- Office papers
- Oil from food and machines
- Pallets
- Plastic banding
- Plastic liner and printed film
- Resin
- Scrap metal, steel, and composite