Irwindale, Calif. – Last week, the Irwindale Chamber of Commerce and the Environmental Committee awarded Ready Pac with the 2013 Waste Reduction Award. The award, presented by Irwindale Mayor Julian Miranda, is aimed to help raise awareness and educate the residential and business community in Irwindale and surrounding cities on how to achieve environmentally sound waste reduction. Director of West Coast Operations at Ready Pac, Santiago Pacheco, accepted the award on Ready Pac’s behalf, during the Environmental Awards Luncheon.
Speaking to Luncheon attendees, among whom were members of the Irwindale Chamber of Commerce and the Environmental Committee and local government officials, Pacheco outlined the path that led to what is now Ready Pac’s recycling program, generating 1/2 million dollars in revenue from recycling while also preventing further land fill cost to the city.
Ready Pac demonstrates recycling initiatives within their production facilities through ways like reduced loads of waste to landfill from 50% to 75% by installing trash compactors, recycling 8,600 tons annually, utilizing natural gas to generate 3.0 Megawatts of electricity with their Co-Generators, and use of 70% post-consumer PET for the bowls used in the production of Ready Pac Bistro® Bowl salads, which were made in a plant that operates using 50% solar energy.
“Once we got the ball rolling, it opened our eyes to all the possibilities within our plants,” Pacheco said of Ready Pac’s program. “Our recycling platform allows us to see quantifiable results in waste reduction of corrugated, plastics and metals. Once you realize how quickly you can make a difference, it serves as motivation for us to find new ways to implement efficiencies. It really is a great feeling.”
For complete information about Ready Pac’s active involvement in sustainable initiatives, visit http://www.readypac.com/our-company/sustainability/.
COMPANY BIO: California-based Ready Pac is a premier producer of convenience fresh foods, including fresh-cut produce. With processing facilities throughout the United States, Ready Pac’s award-winning salads, snacks, fresh-cut fruit and vegetables are distributed in supermarkets and restaurant chains across North America. For more information, visit www.readypac.com
Source: Ready Pac
