The Perdue Turkey Processing plant in Washington is now being called a leader in the industry.
“I am proud to announce that our facility here is the first turkey facility in America that is zero waste to landfill. We are landfill free certified,” said Washington Perdue plant director of operations Brandon Bottorff.
The certification came from Green Circle, an environmental organization that tracked everything that came out of the plant, from turkey feathers to cardboard. The firm’s year long audit concluded this spring and validated that Perdue managed to keep 100% of its waste out of the landfill. The diverted waste totaled 155 million pounds of material.
Bottorff praised the efforts of the environmental team of Todd Logan, Ron Adams and Neil Powell and the rest of the Perdue staff.
“This achievement required enormous collective effort and we are tremendously proud of how everyone stepped up and committed to this goal and making it possible,” he said. “I would also like to thank the Green Circle team for their expertise and professionalism that helped us solidify best processes and practices that helped us achieve our goals as well as continuous improvement.”
The green certification also included a letter from Governor Eric Holcomb that was read by plant manager Colby Rigg. In the letter the governor recognized the unique status the Washington operation now holds.
“I want to personally congratulate Perdue Farms’ Washington, Indiana, facility on becoming the first turkey plant in Indiana—and the United States—to receive Zero Waste to Landfill certification from Green Circle. This accomplishment is a testament to work ethic, perseverance and vision which will leave a lasting impact on the agriculture industry,” wrote Holcomb.
The local operation also received high praise from Perdue Vice-President of Operations Tom Lee.
“I am so proud of this team. You guys got out there and made this happen. Every time I come to Washington, I am more and more impressed with the team that we have here,” said Lee. “There are a lot of young people here running this operation and doing a heck of a good job. We have one of the best teams in the country, right here in Washington, Indiana, running this operation. These types of initiatives and results are just incredible. They are industry leading, across the entire country.”
In 2018 Perdue Farms announced a five-year plan to reduce its landfill flow by 90%. The company has managed to lower that amount by 94%, but Washington is the first and only plant to hit 100%.
“This fits in with everything Perdue is about,” Lee told the crowd at the plant. “We are about doing things the right way, not taking short cuts, being responsible, being environmentally responsible, and just doing it the way we are supposed to do it. That’s what this company is about. You guys are a shining example of that.”
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