Saputo commits to climate, water and waste targets

February 11, 2020, Montreal, Que. – Canadian dairy company Saputo Inc. is pledging to accelerate its global climate, water and waste performance.

The company has announced clear targets and a formal commitment to make significant and sustainable progress by 2025, representing another strong step in the company’s journey to create shared value for its stakeholders through its approach to social, environmental and economic performance.

Specifically, Saputo is committing to reducing the carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy intensity of its operations by 20 per cent, reduce the water intensity of its operations by 10 per cent, and improve its wastewater year over year.

The company also plans to reduce its total waste by 25 per cent and increase its diversion rate by 75 per cent.

Meanwhile, the company plans to reduce its food waste by 50 per cent, ensure all of its packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable, and ensure packaging contains at least 15 per cent of recyclable or renewable content.

Saputo said in a press release that it expects to deliver on the goals with targeted initiatives focusing on renewable electricity, resource conservation and sustainable packaging.

The company will allocate additional resources to support the execution of the global action plan, including a three-year investment of $50 million. Also, Saputo has established a governance framework to foster company-wide accountability and ownership, with Carl Colizza, president and chief operating officer (North America), serving as its executive champion.

Moreover, Saputo has updated its environmental policy to reflect and uphold its 2025 goals and its long-term commitment to pursue environmentally responsible business practices.

Looking ahead, Saputo states that it will extend efforts to its supply chain to further assist in helping address industry-wide environmental considerations.

Saputo is one of the top 10 dairy processors in the world and produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products and dairy ingredients.