Our Sustainability Initiatives

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Hi I'm Rachel Schlabach, Vice President

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of C. H. Robinson's environmental, social

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and governance work.

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At C. H. Robinson were committed to creating

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a sustainable future by rewriting

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the way we look at supply chains, which

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is why I'm proud to introduce the impactful

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sustainable solutions are Robinson Fresh

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experts are bringing to the fresh food industry.

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I'm here with Michael casting Netto, President

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of Robinson Fresh, who will share a few additional

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details with you about these impactful opportunities.

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Thank you, Rachel, happy to

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be here. In the last several years there have

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been a lot of developments of sustainable food products,

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recyclable packaging and carbon emissions

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reduction.

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Because we produce source, distribute

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and deliver fresh products. We have the

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unique opportunity to develop and implement

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sustainable solutions with customers across

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the supply chain

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To provide scope for this work and align our team

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of experts. We categorize activities

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into three primary pillars; product

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packaging and the path to purchase.

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Our sustainable experts in each of these pillars

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recently sat down to talk more about these

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initiatives.

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Nearly 40% of the US food supplies

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wasted each year, which equates to around

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£80 billion. Fresh

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is committed to leveraging our scale and global

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footprint to reduce food waste. And

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we have implemented several programs centered

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around the subjective by extending the

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shelf life of the most sought after products,

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retail customers can drive consumer loyalty

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and curb the trend of food waste.

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Our daily dose program provides customers

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with carefully selected pre-ripened avocados

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that are packaged to offer the consumer the

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best purchasing and eating experience

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while reducing food waste.

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In addition to the daily dose, we are

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always working with industry providers

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and associations to bring our customers

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the best sustainable product solutions that

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meet consumer demands while being

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cost effective.

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Beyond food waste. We understand that

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sustainability starts from the ground up,

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which is why we have partnered with Fair Trade

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USA. Robinson Fresh Fair

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Trade Certified products are part of a movement

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that has generated $740

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million in financial aid for farmers

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and workers in the grower community.

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The purchase of Robinson Fresh Fair Trade

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Certified products promote safe working

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conditions, environmental protection

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and sustainable livelihoods for our growers,

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and the communities in which they operate.

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Consumers support these programs with

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their dollars.

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Retailers who carry Fair Trade certified

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products typically see a 3%

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increase in dollar sales over a six

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month period.

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Good for the consumer, good for the grower

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and good for the retailer.

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Sustainable packaging has shown significant

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growth in recent years. As the science develops,

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we're likely to see a lot of new and different packaging

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options for food and beverage providers across

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the board. Recent information from

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McKinley insights found that over 60%

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of consumers care as much about sustainable packaging

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materials as they do about the sustainability

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of the product itself.

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At Robinson Fresh, it's our mission to aid

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you in your sustainability efforts by offering

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sustainable packaging options across different

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product categories. Some of the sustainable

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packaging solutions we're working on include

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reducing overall plastic or replacing

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traditional plastic with paper and other combustible

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options. We've also established

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relationships with the Sustainable packaging coalition

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and how to recycled, which helps ensure that

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we remain up to date with the latest packaging trends.

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We look forward to working with providers on their specific

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sustainable packaging needs.

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Innovative sustainable products and packaging

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are certainly a large portion of our Robinson

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fresh initiatives.

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Carbon reduction

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has been a focus area for many businesses

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and supply chains in recent years.

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Now consumers are focusing

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on these same initiatives from

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food donations to emissions reduction

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and energy efficiency to waste

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reduction. There are many opportunities

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to create a more sustainable path to purchase

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fewer miles or fewer trucks can

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significantly reduce carbon emissions

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and driving change starts with clear

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visibility

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and an understanding of existing baselines.

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C. H. Robinson and Robinson Fresh

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offer customer platforms to measure

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key performance indicators,

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make modal shifts when needed

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and track emissions intensity using

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our carbon emissions reporting tools.

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Additional fully customizable

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consolidation programs

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help customers reduce truckloads,

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which saves money while reducing

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carbon emissions;

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beyond miles and trucks.

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We are focused on making our warehouse

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and service center facilities as

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efficient as possible--

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from warehouse donations to paperless

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processing,

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plastics reduction and recycling

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programs.

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We are focused on making continuous

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changes in our managed facilities

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to support our customer's desires

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to work with sustainably focused

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partners.

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We'd love to show you how our emissions

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applications and solution

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design experts can optimize

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your operation's overall while

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contributing to your sustainable goals.
 

We are dedicated to bringing sustainable innovation to the entire fresh supply chain

As a division of C.H. Robinson, one of the world’s largest logistics platforms, we are dedicated to sustainability. Whether in our offices, with customers, or for suppliers, we encourage sustainability across communities and around the world.

Learn more about our sustainable initiatives