Baked For Nature
As part of the world’s largest baking company, we strive to be leaders in sustainability, recognizing our obligation to protect and preserve our planet for generations to come.
Our 2030 ambition:
- Achieve Net-Zero emissions by 2050
- Work Towards Zero Waste by diverting waste from landfill and improving packaging sustainability
- Work with suppliers, farmers and other relevant stakeholders to understand and advocate for regenerative agriculture
We are committed to:
towards zero waste
Bimbo Bakeries USA strives for zero waste across all operations, it is critically important to our world in two specific areas – packaging and food waste. We know the negative impacts non-recyclable packaging, like plastic, has on our environment. We also realize the significant food insecurity that exists across the U.S. and our role to help those that are food insecure.
Bimbo Bakeries USA continually looks for ways to optimize our manufacturing process to help prevent waste during the baking process and supply chain to reduce the time it takes to get our products on store shelves.
Ensure 100% of our packaging supports a circular economy by being reusable, recyclable, or home compostable
We expanded our partnership with TerraCycle to make all bread, bun, bagel and English muffin packaging easily recyclable and have already diverted more than five million Entenmann’s Little Bites pouches from landfill through TerraCycle.
Improve systems to ensure all surplus product is directed to food banks
Each year, Bimbo Bakeries USA donates approximately 20 million pounds of surplus product to Feeding America food banks across the nation. This not only helps to keep product out of landfills, but also supports our communities by ensuring that even those who can’t afford to purchase our products still have access to it.
Net Zero Carbon Emissions
Achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions is critical to help stabilize climate change around the world. That’s why Bimbo Bakeries USA has multiple carbon reduction strategies to meet the needs of all of our facilities across the United States.
Continue to supply 100% of our operations with renewable electric energy
Wind Energy: Bimbo Bakeries USA made a commitment to 100 percent renewable energy in all U.S. operations by 2025, powered by a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Invenergy. Through this VPPA, Grupo Bimbo and Bimbo Bakeries USA invested in a wind farm to receive 100 megawatts of renewable, wind-generated electricity. The Wind Farm became operational in June 2019 and produces enough renewable energy to offset all of our operations throughout the United States.
Solar Power: Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Escondido CA., bakery boasts a one-megawatt solar array that covers the roof of the bakery and provides covered parking for associates, reducing the heat island effect. The solar array generates approximately 25 percent of the energy used by the bakery.
Battery Power: Battery systems heighten control over facility energy costs and maximize sustainability by: saving on peak demand charges, providing backup power to eliminate waste and down time and allowing the ability to incorporate and maximize renewables, such as solar. In Montebello, CA, Bimbo Bakeries USA has taken advantage of this measure with a 620 kW 3800kWh battery storage system. With close to $59,000 in annual savings, the system delivers energy bill savings of 7%. Total system reduction, control over energy consumption, improved demand response and the potential to tie in to solar.
Decrease thermal load at all locations
In 2020, Bimbo Bakeries USA marked five consecutive years of absolute energy reduction. We have demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs. Efforts include optimizing energy use from compressed air, decreasing cooling costs, upgrading lighting in our facilities and installing high-efficiency boilers, which will reduce water and natural gas.
Expand Our Alternative Fuel Fleet
Bimbo Bakeries USA expanded the electric vehicle fleet to 100+ vehicles in 2021, after piloting five vehicles in 2020. This expands the already robust fleet of alternatively fueled vehicles (compressed NG and propane) that consists of over 400 vehicles with plans to expand to over 500 in 2022.
CONVERT REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Helping our farmers regenerate the soil will help to protect our nation’s food supply and our planet from the effects global warming.
LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY
ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence
Bimbo Bakeries USA was named EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for five consecutive years (2018-2022) for superior leadership, innovation and commitment to environmental protection through energy efficiency. We achieved certification of 18 facilities in the U.S. and met the ENERGY STAR Challenge at two more bakeries, setting the record for the most ENERGY STAR certified plants of any company in any industry.
LEED Certification
The United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programs are the most recognized green building standards in the world. BBU has adopted this standard and has pledged to build all new construction and renovations to LEED standards. Our bakeries, Rockwall, TX and Lehigh Valley, PA, have both earned LEED certification at the Silver and Gold levels respectively. To earn certification, the bakeries each implemented standards to reduce energy and water while taking advantage of efforts to improve indoor air quality and use high amounts of recycled content in the building material.
Food Processing Magazine’s 2020 Green Plant of the Year – Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Escondido, CA., Bakery
Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Escondido Bakery is a model for sustainable excellence and was awarded the 2020 Green Plant of the Year Award. The award is selected by readers and honors one plant each year that is sustainable and energy efficient. Read the article here.
Denver Bakery Receives Environmental Leadership Award
Our Denver bakery was awarded the Bronze Environmental Achievement Award by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Environmental Leadership Program. Our bakery was recognized for going beyond compliance with state and federal regulations and for our commitment to continual environmental improvement.
RE100
Grupo Bimbo joined RE100, committing to using 100% renewable energy for its electricity across all countries by 2025. Bimboʼs US operations are 100% renewable for electrical energy via the Wind Farm VPPA.