The move towards renewable energy, USA

Programme description

At Nestlé Purina, we are passionately committed to creating a better world for pets and their owners, now and for generations to come.

Utilizing renewable energy at our manufacturing facilities, when possible, is one example of how we accomplish this. In 2008, we installed a 100-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system at our Denver, Colo., factory, where we became the first major pet food plant to pilot a solar energy array. Two consecutively larger solar arrays followed at our manufacturing facilities in Flagstaff, Ariz. (a 427-kilowatt PV system installed in 2010), and Atlanta, Ga. (a 450.24-kilowatt PV system that came on line in late 2012). In addition, we installed a 24-kilowatt solar panel array and a solar water heating system at our St. Louis Headquarters in early 2012.

“With the installation of our solar array in Atlanta, we have reached a milestone of 1 megawatt of solar power generated annually. As a company, we’re making a commitment that we’ll continue to investigate opportunities to preserve our communities where we live and work.”
Raj Kumar
Director of Operations Performance

In addition to using renewable energy sources, we also strive to find new and innovative ways to be more efficient with our resources.

For example, Nestlé Purina’s wet pet food manufacturing sites in the U.S. have cut gallons of water used per ton of product by an average of 4.3 percent every year since 2007. Total water usage in 2011 alone was cut by 55 million gallons over 2010, with similar production volumes. Furthermore, at our Headquarters we have saved enough energy in the last 11 years of our energy management program to offset one year’s use and cost of electricity.

We continue to look for additional ways to reduce energy and water usage, eliminate waste and explore renewable energy options available to us at our manufacturing facilities in the U.S.