GARNER, NC – Butterball LLC has earned Environmental Recognition Awards (ERA) from the American Meat Institute (AMI) for eight of its plants and feed mills throughout the US. ERAs distinguish those AMI member companies exceeding required environmental policies by designing and successfully implementing innovative facility upgrades or environmental programs.

Here is a breakdown of Environmental Recognition Awards received by Butterball facilities:

  • Tier 3 — Carthage, Mo.; Huntsville, Ark.; Longmont, Colo.; Mt. Olive, NC; and Ozark, Ark.
  • Tier 2 — Jonesboro, Ark.
  • Tier 1 — Columbus, Kan. and Alix Feed Mill, Ozark, Ark.

These awards represent successful Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and other innovative environmental initiatives surrounding resource conservation, pollution prevention, upgrades to environmental sustainability, environmental training programs and environmental outreach to the public. Recipients are awarded based on four tiers of achievement, with Tier IV being the highest.

“We are honored to receive such esteemed recognition for these programs,” said Steve Valesko, vice president of engineering. “At Butterball, we proactively work to maintain corporate social responsibility standards and strive to reduce environmental impact by implementing innovative technologies and initiatives that help improve operations and overall efficiency.”

Many Butterball conservation initiatives involve reducing, reusing or recycling of materials used in its production process through advanced environmental technology. Its Mount Olive facility’s innovative water reuse program reduces water usage by 1,288,000 gallons per week – which is approximately 14% of the company’s annual water usage.

The company’s Ozark, Ark. plant’s dissolved air floatation (DAF) unit removes most of the solids before water goes to the biological part of the system, which improves efficiency and reduces waste, thus decreasing the facility’s overall environmental impact.

Garner, NC-based Butterball LLC is the largest producer of turkey products in the US. It produces more than 1 billion lbs. of turkey annually. The company supplies its products to more than 30 countries.