GARNER, N.C. – Butterball, LLC, the nation’s largest poultry processor, has earned Environmental Recognition Awards from the American Meat Institute (AMI) for eight of its plants and feed mills nationwide. These awards distinguish AMI member companies who exceed required environmental policies by designing and successfully implementing innovative facility upgrades or environmental programs. Following is a breakdown of Environmental Recognition awards received by Butterball facilities this year.
Tier 3
- · Carthage, Mo.
- · Huntsville, Ark.
- · Longmont, Colo.
- · Mt. Olive, N.C.
- · Ozark, Ark.
Tier 2
- · Jonesboro, Ark.
Tier 1
- · Columbus, Kan.
- · Alix Feed Mill – Ozark, Ark.
The awards represent successful Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and other innovative environmental initiatives surrounding resource conservation, pollution prevention, upgrades to environmental sustainability, environmental training programs and environmental outreach to the public. Recipients are awarded based on four tiers of achievement, with Tier IV being the highest.
“We are honored to receive such esteemed recognition for these programs,” said Steve Valesko, vice president of engineering at Butterball. “At Butterball, we proactively work to maintain corporate social responsibility standards and strive to reduce environmental impact by implementing innovative technologies and initiatives that help improve operations and overall efficiency.”
Butterball has many conservation initiatives that involve the reduction, reuse or recycling of materials used in its production process through advanced environmental technology. For instance, the Mount Olive facility’s innovative water reuse program reduces water usage by 1,288,000 gallons per week – approximately 14 percent of the company’s annual water usage. Additionally, the Ozark, Ark. Plant’s Dissolved Air Floatation (DAF) unit, removes most of the solids before water goes to the biological part of the system, which improves efficiency and reduces waste, thus decreasing the facility’s overall environmental impact.
About Butterball, LLC:
Butterball, LLC is the largest producer of turkey products in the United States. Headquartered in Garner, N.C., Butterball produces more than 1 billion pounds of turkey each year, and the company supplies its products to more than 30 countries. Perhaps best known for its succulent whole bird products, the company also has a broad array of offerings for deli, retail and foodservice.
As the industry leader in quality and food safety, the company employs numerous processes to ensure the health of birds and implements recognized prevention measures to exceed food safety standards in its seven plants located in North Carolina, Colorado, Arkansas and Missouri. In addition, Butterball has surpassed important workplace safety and health benchmarks set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program.
The company’s three-pronged approach to Doing Business Right focuses on self-governance, sustainability and social responsibility. The initiative plays a key role in providing internal oversight for integrating values that are important to the company, in particular its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.
For more information about Butterball, visit www.butterball.com. You can also call
1-800 BUTTERBALL for answers to your most puzzling questions about turkey preparation.
Source: Butterball LLC
