WhiteWave Foods has landed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for its Dallas beverage production facility. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) certified the plant (which produces Silk soymilk, almondmilk, and coconutmilk; Horizon Organic milk; and International Delight creamers) in recognition of its use of sustainable materials and systems.
Operational sustainability
Blaine McPeak, president of WhiteWave Foods, told FoodProductionDaily the company believes the environmental footprint of its facilities are an important component of its overall sustainability.
“WhiteWave is committed to changing the way the world eats for the better, and we recognize that how we make our products is just as important as what we make,” he said. “Improving the environmental profile of our manufacturing process helps us to offer consumers more sustainable food choices, and reinforces our commitment to reduce our environmental impact.”
Green facility
The 325,000-square-foot facility, constructed in 2012, employs approximately 300 people. The plant’s ‘green’ attributes include 90% of all construction waste being diverted from landfills, water-conserving fixtures, irrigation-less landscaping, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood building materials, and use of locally sourced building materials.
The Dallas WhiteWave plant was designed by Hixson, an Ohio architecture, engineering, and interior design firm.
The Dallas facility is the latest in a line of WhiteWave facilities to attain LEED certification. The company’s North American in Colorado also has been LEED certified.
On top of its green-building efforts, WhiteWave Foods has launched a number of other sustainability initiatives across its operation. The company reports it has has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 32% since 2006, waste to landfill by 28% since 2007, and non-ingredient water use by 6% since 2008.