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Pollution Prevention Pays in Many ways at the Pillsbury Corporation

The Pillsbury Corporation has incorporated a program for protecting the environment that has saved it hundreds of thousands of dollars in waste management costs and ensured the company's continued stature of leadership and product quality in the marketplace.

The Pillsbury program for protecting the environment was adopted in 1990 and is led by the Environmental Affairs Department, based in Minneapolis, and a team of Environmental Coordinators -- one from each of their facilities. This team is responsible for making sure Pillsbury follows not only the letter, but also the spirit of environmental requirements. To do this they established goals that met three criteria:

1. Reduce health and injury risk for Pillsbury employees
2. Meet government and company environmental objectives
3. Make company more efficient by reducing costly wastes

The plan was adopted in 1990 and by 1994 the company managed to:

• Eliminate all gaseous chlorine from water treatment;
• Eliminate all polychlorinated biphenyl's (PCB's) from electrical equipment;
• Eliminate all process chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's);
• Reduce solid wastes by 15%;
• Reduce landfilled wastes by 50%;
• Eliminate 12 million pounds of packaging waste by reducing or changing product packages;
• Reduce total toxic chemical releases such as ammonia, chlorine, phosphoric acid, solvents and CFC's by 90%;and
• Reduce wastewater strength charges at two facilities by 81% each, saving over $410,000.

The key to the success of the program is that Pillsbury depends on employee initiatives and ideas at all levels. For example, Pillsbury Eden Prairie and Chanhassen set up tools to accomplish their goals that involve every area of operations. They establish a zero tolerance for spills and implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all wastes. These procedures include suggestions obtained from employees working with the chemicals and wastes. Annual review of the SOPs is provided. Employees are educated in new policies and pollution prevention through training sessions, communication boards and notices. An approval process or waste stream analysis is required for all chemicals prior to entering the plant. Waste is handled at the highest level of hierarchy. Employees also work with purchasing to look for opportunities to reduce waste.

The Pillsbury Company continues to strive for environmental excellence by setting new goals for the year 2000, continuing to eliminate waste to increase profit, and always trying to reduce by 10%.

The Pillsbury Company has won several environmental awards. The company's Eden Prairie facility won the 1998 Environmental Quality Award sponsored by the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes city businesses that have environmental practices exceeding minimum regulatory compliance, and have indicated a long-term commitment to the environment through their practices.