Yes, our goal of zero waste to landfill* by 2015 is lofty. And when we look around one of our 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facilities, the notion of zero really sinks in. Can we ever get there? We’ll never know if we don’t try. So we’ve challenged ourselves to find a use for each and every scrap.

Give old brewers new life. We rebuild aging brewers and put them back into circulation in offices and restaurants. If they can’t be refurbished, we recycle the parts.

Brew every bean. We take coffee that would otherwise be discarded due to clean-out processes, deviations from specifications, and inventory control and turn it into coffee for the prison system.

Stop trashing useable food. In Oklahoma City, we’ve partnered with Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to repurpose product that would have gone to the landfill.

Dodge the dumpster. We recycle everything we can. Some things, like shrink wrap and cardboard, can’t be repurposed at our facilities, so we partner with companies that can recycle those materials for us.

Don’t let good food go bad. We’re using new processes to better manage our inventory so products don’t sit on the shelf, waiting to expire. Through sustainability education in our internal newsletters, quarterly Town Hall meetings, and department trainings, we’re making green practices part of our employees’ daily routines.

Turn employees into advocates. Through sustainability education in our internal newsletters, quarterly Town Hall meetings, and department trainings, we’re making green practices part of our employees’ daily routines.

^{*According to the Zero Waste International Alliance, zero waste to landfill means we divert from the landfill more than 90% of the solid waste we generate.}