Fighting Food Waste

Back in 2010, we began looking at the amount of food waste that was created in our wet manufacturing facilities. We wanted to see if there was a way to get one step closer to our goal of Zero Food Waste.

Uncertain of just how much food was being lost during our manufacturing process, we started with a close look at our dry food plant in Atlanta, and we discovered something exciting: The team members on the front lines of the manufacturing process were full of ideas that could help us drastically reduce food waste — by as much as 27 percent in one year alone. 

Those ideas included enhancing the way food ingredients are contained in the making of our kibble, making sure valuable materials weren’t lost along the way. 

“We discovered if you spend time with the factories and really listen, you can do wonderful things,” says Raj Kumar, director of operations performance at Purina. 

Then, we started turning those ideas into action.

Our team members all over the country saw the amazing progress in Atlanta, and they were inspired to create their own initiatives for improving the process and reducing food waste. Soon, team members at plants in Denver, Colo. and Flagstaff, Ariz. were creating contests for the best ideas for reducing food waste. We discovered that just by working together to refine our manufacturing process, our ability to save resources has been profound.

“Atlanta was the catalyst that got everybody moving, “ Kumar says. 

We’ve made significant strides in our War on Waste, but we aren’t done yet. 

Today, our team members are working together at our wet food plants to make similar enhancements that will conserve ingredients and cut back on food waste.

We’re excited to see where these ideas will take us, how they can enhance the environment we work in and help carry us toward our goal of Zero Food Waste.