1999 CERES report

 

Section 2:

Environmental Policies, Organization & Management


The Ben & Jerry’s Mission Statement consists of three interrelated parts: Product, Economic and Social. Within the words of our Mission Statement, especially the social component, lies the foundation of our environmental philosophy:


Product Mission

To make, distribute & sell the finest quality all natural ice cream & euphoric concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients & promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment.


Economic Mission

To operate the Company on a sustainable financial basis of profitable growth, increasing value for our stakeholders & expanding opportunities for development and career growth for our employees.


Social Mission

To operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally & internationally.


LEADING WITH PROGRESSIVE VALUES ACROSS OUR BUSINESS
We have a progressive, nonpartisan social mission that seeks to meet human needs and eliminate injustices in our local, national and international communities by integrating these concerns into our day-to-day business activities. Our focus is on children and families, the environment and sustainable agriculture on family farms.


  • Capitalism and the wealth it produces do not create opportunity for everyone equally. We recognize that the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than at any time since the 1920s. We strive to create economic opportunities for those who have been denied them and to advance new models of economic justice that are sustainable and replicable.

  • By definition, the manufacturing of products creates waste. We strive to minimize our negative impact on the environment.

  • The growing of food is overly reliant on the use of toxic chemicals and other methods that are unsustainable. We support sustainable and safe methods of food production that reduce environmental degradation, maintain the productivity of the land over time, and support the economic viability of family farms and rural communities.

  • We seek and support nonviolent ways to achieve peace and justice. We believe government resources are more productively used in meeting human needs than building and maintaining weapons systems.

  • We strive to show a deep resect for human beings inside and outside our company and for the communities in which they live.



1999 SOCIAL MISSION FOCUS

  • To move forward on achieving a compostable pint or ECO-Pint.

  • To achieve significant gains in solid waste reduction through innovative ingredient packaging.

  • To partner with the farmers who provide our milk and cream in the design of a Sustainable Agriculture Initiative with the goal of reducing adverse impacts on water.

  • To partner with Greenpeace in educating customers about dioxins and about the work of Greenpeace.


Environmental Policies


Since 1992, when Ben & Jerry’s became the first public company to sign the CERES Principles for environmental responsibility, the Principles have played a key role in the development of the company’s environmental programs and policy initiatives:


  • Since 1997, all uncontaminated waste oils from Ben & Jerry’s operations are re-refined by a certified handler to be reused.

  • Our Contractor’s Handbook contains an Environmental Requirements section for all outside parties working at Ben & Jerry’s sites. This section outlines our policies for recycling, hazardous waste management, waste water management, protocols for spills and releases and energy saving practices. The book also contains Health and Safety requirements and Good Management Practices (GMPs).

  • The general design of Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops includes environmentally-sound materials, such as floor tile made of recycled and waste glass and marble countertops made from recycled quarry waste.

  • All paper purchased must be totally chlorine free or processed chlorine free.

  • Ben & Jerry’s environmental policies are applicable to all U.S. locations and in other countries where we have ownership. In order to ensure their continuing relevance in light of new technologies, changing standards, emerging concerns, etc., policies are updated by our Manager of Natural Resources Use whenever new information becomes available.

  • Ben & Jerry’s took an important step toward integrating social mission considerations into its expanding international business activities with the drafting of its Global Operating Guidelines in 1999.


SUSTAINABILITY
Several of the objectives for 1999 involved what Ben & Jerry’s refers to as sustainability, the broad environmental impact of various business activities. Instead of viewing its business activities as a series of unrelated actions, the Company has begun to consider how its business, as a whole, affects the environment, from the ingredients it buys to the resources it consumes (including energy and water), to the waste it creates in producing its products. Thus, developing compostable consumer packaging, reducing solid waste and dairy waste associated with production, and working with suppliers including dairy farmers, to develop environmentally-benign agricultural practices, are all viewed as part of the unified mission.


SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL AUDIT
Our business depends on dairy farming. Excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, accumulate regularly on dairy farms through feed and fertilizer, and potentially leave the farm with adverse impacts on ground and surface water. One of our three manufacturing facilities and our dairy supplier, the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, are located in St. Albans, Vermont, on Lake Champlain. Nitrogen and phosphorus run-off is a problem in the lake. Agricultural run-off is but one of the causes.


Inspired by a Whole Farm Nutrient Management Program Developed at Cornell University by Professor Danny Fox, we have launched a unique project involving Ben & Jerry’s, the St. Albans Co-op, the University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Cornell University School of Agriculture and the Poulin Grain Company. This three-year effort starts with a two-farm pilot project to develop the tools to demonstrate that practical management practices can reduce the risk of nitrogen and phosphorus losses from dairy farms, improve environmental performance at the farm level and preserve the economic viability of the dairy farm. We believe this project will have significant implications for both dairy farming and environmental preservation in Vermont.


Environmental Management


At each Ben & Jerry’s manufacturing site in Vermont there is an Environmental Coordinator dedicated to operating and monitoring environmental activities. These activities include wastewater management, composting, solid waste management and recycling. The Environmental Coordinators report to the Site Engineers, but they also work closely and meet regularly with the Manager of Natural Resources Use. Through the dialogue between the Manager of Natural Resources Use and the Environmental Coordinators, environmental strategies for company-wide and site-specific compliance and operation are made.


The Manager of Natural Resources Use reports to the Sr. Director of Operations, who has responsibility for manufacturing, materials, quality control, research and development, retail operations, information services and environmental activities. The Sr. Director of Operations reports to the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s. Reports about the business include summaries of environmental issues and are circulated to senior management.


Environmental Awareness and Employee Education
Ben & Jerry’s has always encouraged employees to take the initiative in improving all aspects of the company. Training programs and other activities keep employees informed of environmental issues:


  • There are employee-led groups called Green Teams at each Ben & Jerry’s site. Green Team members are environmentally concerned employees who work on company-related projects such as recycling and composting, as well as creating educational materials and other company communications.

  • In 1997 the Green Teams also published Eco-Notes, an environmental awareness newsletter that was included in the company newspaper, the Rolling Cone. Eco-Notes are also posted on site bulletin boards along with monthly environmental awareness sheets.

  • Our manufacturing facility in St. Albans has developed an “Employee (Waste) Awareness” guidebook and video presentation for all new employees. Similar orientation programs stressing waste awareness are held at the other company sites as well.

  • There is an Environmental Responsibilities section in our Employee Orientation Handbook. This section outlines the CERES Principles under which we operate, and gives new employees ideas on how to help the company achieve its environmental goals. At orientation, new employees are given an introduction to and general training in Ben & Jerry’s environmental practices and policies.

  • Every October, Ben & Jerry’s celebrates Environmental Awareness Week by holding contests and activities promoting awareness of current environmental issues.

  • Within all manufacturing facilities in Vermont, including the corporate offices, there are information boards set up for environmental awareness postings.


External Communication of Environmental Issues


Following are the tools Ben & Jerry’s uses to share environmental actions with the public:


  • Copies of our CERES Report can be acquired by contacting CERES in Boston. The CERES website also provides additional information at www.ceres.org.

  • Our Annual Report contains a detailed section on company environmental issues. The 1999 Annual Report includes the results of a yearly Social Performance Audit, which includes an objective view of Ben & Jerry’s environmental impacts and accomplishments for the year.

  • The public tour at the Waterbury manufacturing site is not only one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vermont, but also one of the most effective hands-on ways for Ben & Jerry’s to communicate its environmental philosophies, impacts and accomplishments to the public. This information is shared through the use of information displays and the guided factory tour, which includes a Ben & Jerry’s multi-media show.

  • Ben & Jerry’s website at www.benjerry.com contains information outlining the Company’s environmental program and informing the public of our current environmental issues.
  • "Position Papers” on current environmental issues and company initiatives are available at all Ben & Jerry’s retail outlets.

  • The company’s annual One World One Heart® Festival encourages public awareness of social and environmental issues and offers guests opportunities to get active. While each festival is unique, a few common themes persist; composting and recycling as much waste as possible are key goals at every festival. On average, 10 tons of waste are diverted from the landfill through these initiatives, which represent approximately two-thirds of the year’s total waste stream. In addition, festival-goers have the option to participate in our yearly postcard campaign, which focuses on various environmental and social issues.

Environmental Tracking/ Cost Accounting


Ben & Jerry’s tracks the cost and impacts of all waste and energy use (e.g. waste disposal, recycling, composting, etc.) associated with company operations. The Manager of Natural Resources Use and the Environmental Coordinators use a system of integrated environmental tracking tables to collect data that’s updated monthly, and normalized to a gallon of first quality product. Information included in these tables ranges from solid, hazardous and dairy waste production to wastewater production, energy usage and recycling. Costs of each category’s management are also incorporated into the tables.


Since 1994 Ben & Jerry’s has been normalizing all figures with this unit of measurement in order to create baseline data that will serve to identify trends and set goals. Environmental tracking data from four Vermont sites appears in this report .


Auditing


ENVIRONMENTAL
Every Ben & Jerry’s Annual Report includes the results of a yearly, company-wide Social Performance Audit. This audit also comments on Ben & Jerry’s environmental record for each year. Our 1999 independent auditor was James E. Heard of Washington, DC.


HEALTH AND SAFETY
In 1999 we created a new management structure for safety. We filled the open position of Corporate Safety Manager. We organized a Safety Council that includes the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Manufacturing, the Corporate Safety Manager, the Senior Human Resources Manager, the Manufacturing, Training Manager, the Manufacturing Safety Specialist, The Site Plant Managers and the Corporate Treasurer. In 1999 the Safety Council met eight times.


Our Health and Safety auditing process is separate from our environmental audits and assessments. These audits are administered on a site-by-site basis with a frequency of one random check per month per facility. The Manager of Health and Safety performs these random checks.