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Sustainability

Our work family helps sustain our business, our community and our world

Comprised of employees and management, the Green Team at Masters Gallery Foods is an inspired and dedicated group constantly on the lookout for advancements in knowledge and technology as they relate to our environment. Their dedication has inspired many employees as they are continuously coming to the group with recycling ideas.

We believe sustainability is inherent to long-term success, and the decisions we make today influence our people, the environment and our community in the next 60 years. That’s why we know our future here is a bright, green one. Some achievements we are proud of:

  • Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, Green Master – 2020Green Masters Program
  • Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, Green Master – 2019
  • Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, Green Master – 2018
  • Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Award – 2018
  • Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, Green Professional – 2017
  • Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Award – 2017
  • Deloitte Wisconsin 75 Distinguished Performer, Sustainability – 2017
  • Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, Green Master – 2016
  • Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Award – 2016
  • The Wasmer Company’s Environmental Stewardship Award – 2015
  • Plymouth Utilities, Energy Efficiency Improvement Award, 1,053,872 Kwh – 2013/14
  • Plymouth Utilities, Energy Efficiency Improvement Award, 235,443 Kwh – 2011/12

Our employee recycling events and efforts also help support having a kinder impact on our environment. Things we recycle and do as a company-wide effort:

  • Holiday Lights Recycle Event
  • Shoes/Work Boots Recycle Event
  • Jeans Collection
  • Electronics Recycle Events
  • Battery Collection Locations
  • Pop Tabs
  • “Focus on Energy” Lighting Events
  • Employee Paper Shredding
  • Highway Clean-up

 

Environmental Responsibility Statement

We strive to:

  • Develop products using procured ingredients and materials that are good environmental choices for employees’ health, safety and quality needs.
  • Manufacture and distribute our products with minimum energy consumption and waste generation.
  • Design, build, and maintain facilities that operate to minimize environmental impact.
  • Educate our employees on how they individually and collectively impact our environment by providing information on alternative environmental choices.
  • Maintain a proactive approach in pursuit of compliance with environmental rules and regulations using evolving technology.
Recycling
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Recycling

What do we recycle?

  • Anti-cake bags, cheese packaging, cores, hard plastic (slip sheets), corrugate (cardboard), plastic banding, shrink wrap, Grade A, B, & C Plastic, label backing, printed film rolls, scrap metal and film from the production floor.
  • Office documents, aluminum cans and plastic bottles.
  • Currently investigating means to recycle hairnets/beard nets, earplugs, disposable gloves, aprons, etc.

Reduction of Paper Consumption

  • Through the implementation of a data management database, we have been able to reduce the usage of paper and printing.
  • Decrease of paper usage (and % year to year) within Accounting Departments:
    • 2016 – 150 cases
    • 2017 – 145 cases; -3.3%
    • 2018 – 125 cases; -13.8
    • 2019 – 100 cases; -20%
    • 2020 – 71 cases; -29%
    • 2021 – 29 cases; -59%

Recycling by the Numbers

  • Since the implementation of an elaborate recycling program in August of 2012, we have prevented over 32 million pounds of material from the landfill.
  • In 2018, 91.3% of all waste has been diverted from the landfill.
  • Total tons recycled, year to year:
    • 2012 – 402
    • 2013 – 1,099
    • 2014 – 1,353
    • 2015 – 1,479
    • 2016 – 1,550
    • 2017 – 1,792
    • 2018 – 1,901
    • 2019 – 2,162
    • 2020 – 2,416
    • 2021 – 2,339

Consumer Packaging

  • Reducing consumer waste is on our radar. We have a dedicated team working directly with suppliers on sourcing recyclable packaging.
Water Preservation
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Water Preservation

 

  • We work directly with U.S. Water, a Midwestern water treatment company. U.S. Water replaces the “traditional” chemical-based water treatment with a zero-phosphorus additive called PhosZero
  • PhosZero removes the possibility of discharging phosphorus into our waste water stream
  • The PhosZero family of cooling water treatment products are designed to provide scale and corrosion control results similar to “traditional” phosphorus containing chemistries but without the discharge or aquatic toxicity concerns of older technologies
  • Sanitation no longer uses phosphorus-based chemicals for cleaning
Energy Conservation
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Energy Conservation

With the help of our dedicated Green Team, we have made great strides in the reduction of our consumption of energy.

  • Air compressors had been converted to supply areas of the plant with heat that would have otherwise been discharged into the atmosphere, also referred to as “free heat.”
  • Both plants have almost entirely been retrofitted with LED lighting.
  • Warehouse are set up with motion-activated lighting.
  • Through these initiatives, we have reduced energy consumption by over 1,038,000 Kwh annually (that’s enough to power almost 100 typical homes a year!).
  • We pride ourselves on the advancements we have made to help sustain our business, community and world. In 2018, production had increased by 7.6% at our Plymouth facility while energy consumption only rose by 6.5%.

In July 2018, we opened a second production facility in Oostburg, Wisconsin. Taking what we had already learned from Plymouth, we were able to build an even more efficient facility.

  • Our newly constructed Oostburg production facility includes a retention pond that supports geo-thermal office heating and cooling.
  • Natural lighting was also taken into consideration during construction throughout the office and maintenance areas.

In late 2021, we installed a Nitrogen generation system to support production operations.

  • The system supplies most of our production lines for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).
  • MAP relieves us of any transport from an outside supplier including delivery charges and reduces outside supply chain issues.
Environmental Awareness
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Environmental Awareness

In July 2018, the Oostburg production facility was opened. All green efforts had been replicated and enhanced from the Plymouth facility.

  • One of the major advancements was a chilling tower, which eliminates the use of ammonia, freon or any regulated coolant. This greatly reduces risk to employees and the environment in the event a leak or natural disaster were to occur.
  • The facility also implements new technology which removes heat from the plant to warm the outside sidewalks in winter reducing the use of salt to keep them ice free.

A new electric trailer spotter was purchased in 2022.

  • The spotter produces zero emissions which eliminates the hazards from inhaling diesel emissions.
  • Battery allows for 24+ hours of operation on a single charge and has a lifespan of seven to eleven years.