To forge ahead as trail blazers in the performance food realm, we realize that it isn’t enough to tick off the certification boxes and call it good. There are actionable items that still lay in the depths of our operations that are compromising our pledge to prioritize Mother Earth and her longevity.
In conjunction with our Climate Neutral certification, we have created a 2021 Reduction Action Plan that will help us keep on track to reduce our negative impact throughout the year. We believe that these 2 goals are achievable, as well as address the major polluting division of MUIR; upstream and downstream shipping.
The parcels that we received from our suppliers, and the parcels that we shipped to our retailers and directly to customers accounted for the majority of our 51 metric tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions in 2020.
With that information we realized a simple shift could be made – a Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ for those in the biz). We’ve all heard it before, buying in bulk, and in our case, this would really cut down our annual pollution! With our new MOQ in place, our retailers, and you, our online shoppers, would be purchasing more MUIR, less frequently. This all to say, we would be using less shipping materials, less emissions related to shipping, as well as less human and grid energy than we would to process more frequent, smaller orders.
It doesn’t stop there. Our upstream shipping is also a major culprit in our pollution portfolio. Our nut and seed butters travel cross-country via truck freight multiple times a year; sometimes, ashamedly, only a few buckets at a time. We see this as a huge waste of fuel and human capital, as well as an opportunity to do better. Moving forward we are filling pallets, ordering in higher quantities less frequently, and always striving to re-think and re-frame our actions.
Through our RAP we are cultivating a new mindset and hope to challenge each of you to try and do the same within your everyday life. As always, feel free to reach out at sustainability@muirenergy.com with any questions, ideas, and thoughts!
