Sustainable Operations
As part of our Full Circle Sustainability* principles, we're committed to respecting and enhancing the natural environment from the farm to our factory to you. We'd like to share some of the things we do at work and home, and hope you'll join us in taking these easy steps to expand the powerful, positive impact of simple choices.
We realize that there's much more we can do, and we're committed to this challenge. We've initiated a Full Circle Sustainability Committee to outline additional purchasing and operational guidelines and hope you'll share your ideas.
Sourcing & Product Quality
We've used high quality, organic, rainforest grown cacao from day one.
Our ingredients are all non-gmo.
We source under direct, equitable terms to maintain economic, cultural and environmental sustainability.
Our producer partners can invest in community development, technical improvements and ecology thanks to equitable prices. We also work directly with growers on these projects. Learn more here.
We're dedicated to producing exquisite tasting chocolate that makes sustainability alluring and offers you sweet rewards.
Green Energy - Reducing our Carbon Footprint
We buy renewable energy credits to offset 100% of the energy use at our Ashland facility. Anyone can do this here!
Annually, these renewable energy credits will save 126 tons of CO2, and equate to planting 52.2 trees, keeping 25.2 cars off the road and not driving 275,580 miles.
The EPA recognized us with a Green Power Leadership Award in 2005 and membership in the Green Power Leadership club.
Reduce, Reuse...then Recycle
We're working to minimize waste after our products leave our factory by creating recyclable and reusable packaging. You can reuse our bar labels for note paper then recycle them. You can also recycle our box-type packaging. Our hot chocolate canisters are durable and reusable. The foil on our bars is not recyclable but we're working on this. It is great for handmade cards and other crafty things.
We refill ink jet cartridges so we can reuse each one 3-4 times.
Staff reuse scratch paper in our fax and printers, then recycle.
Our break rooms are stocked with reuseable cups, plates and utensils.
We keep customers updated with e-newsletters, process accounts and orders via email, and have a paperless press kit and sales brochures.
We make recycling easy with well labeled bins at every desk and shared work area, break rooms and production.
Both break rooms have a compost bin and we compost on-site.
In 2005, we made recycling the focus of a company wide sustainability program. We tripled our recycling, largely by identifying post-production waste that could be recycled and creating bi-lingual signage.
A local biomass facility recycles our broken pallets. Employees have also used them to build some great fencing and raised garden beds at home.
Our sales brochures are printed on New Leaf 100% recycled paper.
We also use New Leaf's 100% Post-consumer recycled office paper. Ashland is nestled in beautiful biodiverse, healthy tree-filled mountains and we want to help keep the rest of the world that way.
We upgraded our12-bar display boxes and Single Origin bar boxes to 100% recycled in 2006. Our suppliers were really helpful with this.
Our labels are currently printed on 50% recycled paper but our goal is to use 100% recycled and we're currently evaluating options.
Energy and Water Conservation
We're working with our City's Green Business program (Ashland, OR) to become a certified Green Business. To date, we've implemented energy and water efficiency measures such as reducing the number of bulbs in overhead tube lighting, using compact-florescent floor lamps instead of overhead lighting, placing window film on south facing windows, installing a front loading washer and improving weatherization.
Our flower beds feature drought tolerant perennials and sunflowers.
We have a barrel under our drain spout to catch rain for external watering.
Air & Water Quality
In 2005, we converted our cleaning supplies to biodegradable options with recycled and recyclable packaging. Our supplier was willing to bring in these items, making them available to their whole customer base.
By sourcing organic, we're helping keep air and water clean worldwide.
Several staff bike to work - powered by clean energy - Dagoba Organic Chocolate.