Socially Responsible Companies

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Sustainability is very important to Sysco. They do many different things to be a well-known sustainable company. They advocate low-impact farming, use methods to using hybrid diesel delivery trucks to provide local and organic foods and also biodegradable takeout containers. (sysco.com)

Energy sustainability plays a big role in the company. For example, Sysco has a recycling program to remove the solid waste stream, lower disposal costs and increase their recycling tonnage and revenues. Also, through one of Sysco’s produce companies, FreshPoint, begun a new test point where they convert solid foods into grey water and can be sent through wastewater lines onsite (sysco.com).

Currently, the machine is processing about 3,000 pounds per day which results in over one million pounds annually per location that would otherwise go to a landfill. Sysco, so far has saved 63,000 trees, 26 million gallons of water, 29 million oils, 2.2 million pounds of air pollutants, 11,000 cable yards of landfill space and 258 million kilowatts of energy (sysco.com).

When it comes to moving their product, they do it in the most efficient way possible. They replace 10-12% of their fleet annually to make sure their fleets are more efficient. In 2013, they added 16 low-emission natural gas trucks to their fleet which makes Sysco having a total of 180 low-emission trucks. Since January 2010, they have purchased more than 4, 335 EPA-approved diesel trucks with low emissions. Another thing that all trucks come equipped with is auto-idle shut off timers which means after 3 minutes of the truck idling, it will automatically shut off (sysco.com).

The warehouse and distribution centers require a lot of energy because the operation of the forklift and pallet trucks, lighting, air conditioning, and refrigeration units to do the day to day tasks. To keep the energy level down Sysco regularly upgrade refrigeration equipment, freezer and cooler doors, lighting and office air conditioning systems in the warehouse. By the end of 2014, Sysco’s warehouse efficiency initiatives generated a savings of nearly 40 percent since 2006 (sysco.com).

Another thing that Sysco is known for is their generous donations to multiple organizations along with other clubs. In 2013, they supported nonprofit organizations with 8.5 million dollars along with countless volunteer hours from Sysco employees. Hunger relief is very important because of their ability to safely supply healthy and nutritious foods. They prioritizes programs and activities aimed at eliminating child hunger and encouraging good nutrition to lower income families (foodbanknys.org).

In 2013, Sysco returned for its 12th year as the Official Food Service Marketer and Distributor of Share Our Strengths Taste of the Nation and just recently look over as the main sponsor. Since 2002, Sysco has contributed more than 4.6 million in support of Share our Strength. Also, Sysco employees spend a lot of time volunteering at events in their communities. Sysco is committed to ending to ending childhood hunger in America (sysco.com).

In 2014, the company contributed nearly 4.5 million in cash and in-kind donations to hunger relief organizations including Feeding America. These donations go to nationwide network of member food banks and helping the company end hunger (foodbanknys.org).

When it comes to education, Sysco encourages people to seek careers in the restaurant, foodservice, hospitality, and culinary arts degrees. They seek opportunities to develop young minds and empower the next generation of leaders. Sysco offers scholarships and support for K-12 educational institutions in the United States that encourage and rewards students for pursuing careers in any of these areas (sysco.com).

As you can see, Sysco, General Mills and Little Caesars are involved in communities and all over the world. They focus on being socially responsible, strong ethics and sustainable business practices. Practicing good practices helps their company succeed because people see all the hard work they put into community involvement and other things they could do so they will support the company’s products.

Works Cited

Sysco. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2016, from http://www.sysco.com/home.html

General Mills: A U.S. food company with global sales, we market brands that include Cheerios, Yoli, Pillsbury, Annie's, Betty Crocker, Häagen-Dazs, Yoplait and Cascadian Farm. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2016, from https://www.generalmills.com/

Sysco Helps Food Bank Deliver More Food. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2016, from http://www.foodbanknyc.org/news/sysco-helps-food-bank-deliver-more-food

About. (2014). Retrieved March 08, 2016, from http://joinmyvillage.com/about/