GT’s Living Foods (GTLF), the maker of SYNERGY® Raw Kombucha and living foods pioneer, has officially announced a major milestone i.e. its flagship manufacturing facility which has earned the globally recognized TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Gold certification from Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI).
In case you weren’t aware, TRUE certification recognizes facilities that excel in reducing waste, optimizing resources, and creating positive environmental impacts. In GTLF’s case, the company achieved this honor by implementing a comprehensive range of sustainability initiatives, such as composting raw materials, using recyclable packaging, reducing its carbon footprint, and fostering employee engagement in waste reduction strategies.
As for GBCI, it is the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body. In practice, the organization independently recognizes excellence in performance and practice globally, while simultaneously promoting adoption of building and business practices that continually and measurably improve health, equity, resilience and environmental wellbeing for all. Furthermore, GBCI administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates including, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, as well as the PEER standard for power systems. Not just that, it also awards WELL Building Standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES), EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), TRUE certification for zero waste, and Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits.
Coming back to GTLF’s initiatives on a slightly deeper level, we begin from responsible ingredient sourcing & usage, where it would recycle 100% of the raw ingredients used in its products. All these materials were converted into compost to enrich local soil, promote healthy plant growth, as well as reduce waste from landfills.
Next up, we have sustainable packaging practices. An example reinforcing the same would be how SYNERGY® Raw Kombucha has always been sold in 100% recyclable glass bottles with fully recyclable low-density polyethylene caps. In fact, nearly 98% of GTLF’s packaging materials are recyclable after consumer use. On top of that, recent packaging redesigns have reduced cardboard usage by almost 70%.
“Since our founding in 1995, we have believed that Mother Nature is our world’s greatest healer. As a company that makes living nutrition products from Mother Nature, it’s our responsibility to protect and preserve our beautiful planet that has given us so much,” said Mark House, Chief Operating Officer at GTLF. “We’re thrilled to announce our first TRUE certification, with more to come, as we continue to work towards a healthier future for all of us.”
Then, there is is the prospect of carbon footprint reduction, something which GTLF would realize by selecting 65% of its suppliers from local Los Angeles area. Apart from that, the company also reduced energy consumption by 7% through increased use of electric vehicles like forklifts in its manufacturing facilities.
Rounding up highlights would be the employee engagement and training which GTLF has imparted in the context of sustainability, thus enabling employees and suppliers to participate in its sustainability initiatives. Complementing the same would be regular waste reviews and sustainability questionnaires that help identify improvement opportunities and ensure compliance with GTLF’s sustainability standards.
“Businesses must go beyond current wasteful practices and think critically about how to redesign processes so that less waste is produced in the first place,” said Peter Templeton, President and CEO of U.S. Green Building Council and GBCI. “Implementing zero waste business practices requires rethinking, retraining, new tools and strong leadership to change current waste systems. With GTLF’s leadership in this endeavor, they are making great strides for their employees, community and consumers at large.”
