Ardent Mills Talks Sustainable Flour and Packaging  

Ardent Mills has recycled 400 tons of waste  and saved 6,766 trees the start of its sustainability initiatives.

The company has released its annual Sustainability Report for the fiscal year 2019. This fiscal year, Ardent Mills launched a comprehensive zero waste program, encompassing 12 facilities with over 500 tons of waste diverted from the landfill or reduced entirely. The program has gained great traction in the first year, with a multitude of facilities identified to join the zero-waste effort in the coming year, according to the report. 

“Our sustainability pillars focus on agriculture, operations, procurement and transportation. We recently aligned our efforts with the United Nations and their Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals. By championing sustainability and focusing on these global goals, we believe our investment in sustainability delivers a product that brings value to our customers and the environment,” said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills.

The report dives into many Ardent Mills initiatives that are making a positive environmental impact. Some highlights include:

• New alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals targeted at Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Climate Action.
• The initiative to recycle paper in the Newton facility has resulted in 400 tons of waste recycled and 6,766 trees saved since inception.
• The Ardent Mills Innovation Center in the Denver headquarters began composting in fiscal year 2018. Since the program began, 80,409 lbs. of material have been diverted from the landfill.
• The focus on energy saving projects yielded a reduction in 3,779 tons of greenhouse gases over fiscal year 2018.
• Ardent Mills is a partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Smartway Program, working with carriers who choose clean-burning fuel alternatives. 68% of Ardent Mills carriers are Smartway partners.
• Information on the strategic relationship with Colorado Quinoa; to not only find a Colorado source of quinoa, but discover water-saving opportunities for farmers in the San Luis Valley.

“We are pleased to share our story and demonstrate how we partner with customers, communities, vendor partners and team members for a more sustainable world. At Ardent Mills, we believe sustainability is everyone’s business,” added Dye. 

Bags for Sustainable Forest Management

Ardent Mills bag design features a sustainable forestry initiative label. This label tells customers that the fiber in the packaging meets the SFI standard, which promotes sustainable forest management in North America.

The team also focused on the overall palletization process – at Ardent facilities as well as their suppliers. This way, inbound shipments are palletized reducing fuel emissions and waste. The palletization modifications at the facilities reduced the consumption of packaging materials while maintaining a high level of protection for our product in storage and transit. This change reduced the overall plastic consumption by over 120 tons.

Ultimately, this means their customers now receive less plastic that they’d dispose of or recycle.

Sustainable Oil  

The Innovative Bakery Resources facility and Canadian mix facilities have also earned a certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The RSPO is an organization that ensures all palm oil products are responsibly sourced. By pairing with an organization like the RSPO, we can take steps towards protecting the environment and wildlife.