We’ve created a Climate Action Plan as part of our commitment to reducing our impact on the planet. Take a look at our path to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with an interim goal to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030.
At TCCA’s manufacturing facilities, where we convert milk and other ingredients into dairy products, we’re working to improve our resource use efficiency, conserve natural resources and minimize our ecological footprint – reducing water, waste and energy. Throughout that process, we engage manufacturing teams to implement projects and track resource conservation data.
We regularly audit our facilities to identify energy efficiency opportunities. We also look for ways to shift fuel sources from higher emission fuels such as propane or natural gas in favor of electricity.
We joined the TPUD Green Power Program in Tillamook and pay a premium for 100% renewable energy at the Tillamook Creamery visitors center and 10% renewable energy in our manufacturing plant. This program partially sources renewable energy from three local dairy digesters, which also reduces manure-based methane emissions from our
dairy farms.
We look for ways to increase water use efficiency at our plants, installing water-efficient technology and reusing water where possible. Our Boardman facility reuses water from the drying process for whey protein powder, conserving about 300,000 gallons of water each year. We also monitor our compliance with wastewater and stormwater discharge requirements. At our Tillamook facility, this is especially important as our discharge has strict water quality and temperature requirements to protect the nearby Tillamook Bay and Pacific Ocean. We manage not only food processing waste, but also the sanitary waste from over one million visitors
We have ambitious goals for waste. We have a goal to have zero waste to landfill by 2030, following the True Zero Waste Protocols. Plus, we’ve joined World Resources Institute’s 10x20x30 Food Loss and Waste Initiative with the goal to reduce our food waste by 50% by 2030, from a 2030 baseline.
Our teams work to identify where food loss occurs, what kind of waste occurs, and where it all goes.
We’re working hard to support and promote a closed-loop system, where our co-op farmers and suppliers recycle all nutrients and organic matter back to the soil. Regenerative agricultural practices and conversion of manure into energy are a few of the ways we’re working to close the
loop on farms.
Protecting watersheds is essential to preserving ecosystems for farmland to thrive. TCCA is a key partner to Trout Unlimited, an organization that works with farmers and landowners in Tillamook County to improve fish passage and restore riparian habitat. With TCCA’s $500K commitment and other partner matches and grants, the programs will bring in more than $5M for watershed improvements.
We also received a $4M Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant for a massive manure management program with local dairy farms. TCCA is committed to supporting the future of farming by investing in these types of on-farm environmental solutions.
We work with consultants, local watershed groups, non-profits and state and federal agencies to help inform and advance environmental projects and maximize our impact.
We’re working hard to protect resources on-farm in our facilities and within our fleet.
