(Watsonville, CA – July 27, 2020) California Giant Berry Farms is proud to announce that its corporate headquarters has been awarded Gold under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste certification program.

The Gold certification recognizes California Giant’s achievement of diverting 91.24% of their office waste away from landfills and other waste outlets over the past twelve months.

Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE validates businesses’ efforts to define, pursue and achieve their zero waste goals, which in turn, reduces their carbon footprint and supports public health. With TRUE’s holistic approach and step-by-step guidance from Measure to Improve, LLC (MTI), California Giant committed to implement permanent process improvements to reduce their use of materials, encourage reuse and recycling and foster a zero waste culture throughout the organization.

“I am absolutely thrilled that California Giant has achieved this Zero Waste Certification. Especially during these unprecedented times, it is an outstanding display of dedication from our California Giant Family,” said Eric Valenzuela, Director of Food Safety and Sustainability. “Over the past year we documented, trained and literally climbed into dumpsters to reach the target diversion rate. Under the stellar guidance of Measure to Improve, the staff worked really hard to achieve this goal as part of our overall arch of sustainability.”

California Giant was founded with a mission to give back. This mission not only includes philanthropy but also protecting the land and caring for the people within the company and greater community. “We want to demonstrate to the industry that this is achievable and to be a leader in our community by giving back,” said Valenzuela. The TRUE certification underscores the company’s three pillar approach to sustainability: People, Plant and Product.

To receive a TRUE Zero Waste Certification, businesses must achieve a minimum 90% diversion rate for solid, non-hazardous waste. Additional requirements include leadership, employee education, communication, innovation and the commitment from every single employee to participate.

“California Giant is focused on having a sustainable business that cares for the environment and the hardworking people that make it possible. This certification validates our efforts and will keep us all accountable to maintain and continue to improve upon these results moving forward,” said Joe Barsi, President of California Giant. “I am proud of the work of the sustainability team that led this arduous undertaking and of all the staff for their commitment and participation in this group effort,” added Barsi.

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About TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste Certification Program

The TRUE Zero Waste certification strives to change the way materials flow through society so that all products are eventually reused and diverted from landfill, incineration (waste-to-energy) and the environment. TRUE provides best practices and training that enable businesses, property managers, schools, government agencies and nonprofits to rethink how resources are used. TRUE-certified projects are environmentally responsible and achieve a minimum of 90 percent waste diversion. The program helps facilities turn waste into savings, cut greenhouse gas emissions, manage risk, reinvest resources and create jobs. https://true.gbci.org/

About Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)

GBCI is the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally. Established in 2008, GBCI exclusively administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, as well as the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES), TRUE Zero Waste Certification, Parksmart, the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL building standard, EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits and the GRESB benchmark, which is used by institutional investors to improve the sustainability performance of the global property sector. www.gbci.org.