Waste & Recycling Practices
Pilgrim’s set goals in each of our production facilities to decrease the amount of packaging used in our finished products, along with waste generated and sent to landfill. We continuously explore alternative materials with greater recyclability and technologies to reduce packaging, while maintaining strict product safety standards mandated by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
Pilgrim’s Moy Park, Pilgrim’s UK, and Pilgrim’s Food Masters have achieved and maintained zero waste to landfill across facilities. They employ a strategy of “Remove, Reduce, Recycle and Research” and began using 100% recyclable rigid packaging in 2022. All other packaging will be widely recyclable by 2025. Pilgrim’s Moy Park was the first poultry company to undertake a commitment to reduce packaging and food waste in its value chain. The company plans to lower its global use of packaging by 5% each year, while raising the percentage of recyclable packages by 5%.
Waste & Recycling Practices
Pilgrim’s set goals in each of our production facilities to decrease the amount of packaging used in our finished products, along with waste generated and sent to landfill. We continuously explore alternative materials with greater recyclability and technologies to reduce packaging, while maintaining strict product safety standards mandated by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
Pilgrim’s Moy Park, Pilgrim’s UK, and Pilgrim’s Food Masters have achieved and maintained zero waste to landfill across facilities. They employ a strategy of “Remove, Reduce, Recycle and Research” and began using 100% recyclable rigid packaging in 2022. All other packaging will be widely recyclable by 2025. Pilgrim’s Moy Park was the first poultry company to undertake a commitment to reduce packaging and food waste in its value chain. The company plans to lower its global use of packaging by 5% each year, while raising the percentage of recyclable packages by 5%.
Waste & Recycling Practices
Pilgrim’s set goals in each of our production facilities to decrease the amount of packaging used in our finished products, along with waste generated and sent to landfill. We continuously explore alternative materials with greater recyclability and technologies to reduce packaging, while maintaining strict product safety standards mandated by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
Pilgrim’s Moy Park, Pilgrim’s UK, and Pilgrim’s Food Masters have achieved and maintained zero waste to landfill across facilities. They employ a strategy of “Remove, Reduce, Recycle and Research” and began using 100% recyclable rigid packaging in 2022. All other packaging will be widely recyclable by 2025. Pilgrim’s Moy Park was the first poultry company to undertake a commitment to reduce packaging and food waste in its value chain. The company plans to lower its global use of packaging by 5% each year, while raising the percentage of recyclable packages by 5%.
Tackling Food Waste
The meat processing industry is incredibly efficient at preventing food waste – a critical issue for food security, resource conservation and climate change. We achieve this partly by processing byproducts to create saleable materials. Nearly 100% of inedible byproducts are rendered to produce tallow and feather and bone meal, which we then sell to other companies to be used in goods such as livestock or poultry feed. In 2015, the USDA and EPA announced the first-ever food loss and waste reduction goal, calling for a 50% reduction by 2030. By publicly committing to apply this target to our own operations, Pilgrim’s U.S. joined the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions in 2022. In the UK, Pilgrim’s is committed to Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 and to the Courtauld Commitment, which are also working to halve food waste by 2030. Currently, only 0.1% of Pilgrim’s UK’s production is classified as food waste. Actions employed to reduce this number even further include using the Waste Hierarchy to derive as much value as possible from all products and donating to food redistribution charities.
Tackling Food Waste
The meat processing industry is incredibly efficient at preventing food waste – a critical issue for food security, resource conservation and climate change. We achieve this partly by processing byproducts to create saleable materials. Nearly 100% of inedible byproducts are rendered to produce tallow and feather and bone meal, which we then sell to other companies to be used in goods such as livestock or poultry feed. In 2015, the USDA and EPA announced the first-ever food loss and waste reduction goal, calling for a 50% reduction by 2030. By publicly committing to apply this target to our own operations, Pilgrim’s U.S. joined the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions in 2022. In the UK, Pilgrim’s is committed to Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 and to the Courtauld Commitment, which are also working to halve food waste by 2030. Currently, only 0.1% of Pilgrim’s UK’s production is classified as food waste. Actions employed to reduce this number even further include using the Waste Hierarchy to derive as much value as possible from all products and donating to food redistribution charities.
Tackling Food Waste
The meat processing industry is incredibly efficient at preventing food waste – a critical issue for food security, resource conservation and climate change. We achieve this partly by processing byproducts to create saleable materials. Nearly 100% of inedible byproducts are rendered to produce tallow and feather and bone meal, which we then sell to other companies to be used in goods such as livestock or poultry feed. In 2015, the USDA and EPA announced the first-ever food loss and waste reduction goal, calling for a 50% reduction by 2030. By publicly committing to apply this target to our own operations, Pilgrim’s U.S. joined the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions in 2022. In the UK, Pilgrim’s is committed to Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 and to the Courtauld Commitment, which are also working to halve food waste by 2030. Currently, only 0.1% of Pilgrim’s UK’s production is classified as food waste. Actions employed to reduce this number even further include using the Waste Hierarchy to derive as much value as possible from all products and donating to food redistribution charities.
Reducing & Recycling
In the U.S., we strive to recycle all that we can at our facilities, working to ensure that:
Reducing & Recycling
In the U.S., we strive to recycle all that we can at our facilities, working to ensure that:
Reducing & Recycling
In the U.S., we strive to recycle all that we can at our facilities, working to ensure that:
80% of clean cardboard
material is sent to recycling centers or paper mills to be reused
95% of our pallets
are returned to suppliers for reuse
95% of all metal
is sent to a salvage yard
95% of clean
non contaminated plastic is collected and sent to a recycling center or melted and repurposed for new products
95% of HDPE tote bags
are reused through a circular loop between Pilgrim’s and our manufacturer for our continuous orders
80% of clean cardboard
material is sent to recycling centers or paper mills to be reused
95% of our pallets
are returned to suppliers for reuse
95% of all metal
is sent to a salvage yard
95% of clean
non contaminated plastic is collected and sent to a recycling center or melted and repurposed for new products
95% of HDPE tote bags
are reused through a circular loop between Pilgrim’s and our manufacturer for our continuous orders
80% of clean cardboard
material is sent to recycling centers or paper mills to be reused
95% of our pallets
are returned to suppliers for reuse
95% of all metal
is sent to a salvage yard
95% of clean
non contaminated plastic is collected and sent to a recycling center or melted and repurposed for new products
95% of HDPE tote bags
are reused through a circular loop between Pilgrim’s and our manufacturer for our continuous orders
2022 Progress
We have continued to focus on improving data quality related to waste and packaging, as a result we are tracking more indicators and are able to better understand and monitor our waste streams. Improved data quality also leads to more complete measurements which are higher than partially complete past data. We will continue to stay focused on increasing our recyclable packaging and will stay committed to reducing our packaging per ton of finished product produced. The data below represents our best efforts at tracking waste and recycling at our facilities. In some cases, the local municipality collects all waste and recycling, which makes tracking the data impossible. We are currently working to develop collaborative partnerships in these locations, so we can share data to better track our performance.
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
Total Waste Generated | 167,767 | 169,880 | 145,205 |
Total Waste to Landfill | 68,604 | 63,086 | 60,941 |
Total Waste Recycled | 7,053 | 4,270 | 4,433 |
Total Waste Composted | 4,385 | 9,073 | 4,513 |
Total Waste Incinerated | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total Waste for Energy Reuse | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total Waste Cogeneration/Coprocessed | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total Waste for Fertigation /Land Application | 87,725 | 93,451 | 75,318 |
*Does not include Pilgrim's Food Masters in 2020 or 2021
**Includes non-hazardous waste. In 2022, we also generated of 20,436 lbs. of hazardous waste across our operations, which was disposed according to the appropriate protocols.
*Does not include Pilgrim's Food Masters in 2020 or 2021
**Includes non-hazardous waste. In 2022, we also generated of 20,436 lbs. of hazardous waste across our operations, which was disposed according to the appropriate protocols.
*Does not include Pilgrim's Food Masters in 2020 or 2021
**Includes non-hazardous waste. In 2022, we also generated of 20,436 lbs. of hazardous waste across our operations, which was disposed according to the appropriate protocols.
