In 1989, Stemilt became an early adopter in sustainable agriculture by transitioning a large number of acres to organic production. That same year, Stemilt founder Tom Mathison launched the company’s own sustainability and social responsibility program, which he called Responsible Choice. A program embraced early on by Stemilt’s producers, today Responsible Choice has expanded to reach all levels of the company.
Responsible Choice is centered on three areas of responsibility. Our social efforts stem from our belief that people power our business, while our commitment to the environment and emphasis on economic efficiencies ensures that Stemilt will be a sustainable business for future generations to come.
From our orchards and packing facilities to our corporate offices, some examples of our sustainable business efforts include:
Composting: Twenty-three acres are dedicated to composting at Stemilt, where leaves, culled fruit, wood chips and other green waste from our operations are regenerated into a nutrient-rich orchard fertilizer. The impact of composting is substantial—preventing more than 160 truckloads of waste from filling up area landfills each year. Additionally, compost boosts the nutritional balance of the soil, strengthens the trees’ natural defenses and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Integrated Pest Management: IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management. Stemilt orchards use information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment to manage them with the least hazard to people, property and the environment. Additionally, we use natural predators, such as trained falcons, to ward off fruit-damaging birds.
Energy Conservation: In conjunction with the local utility company, Stemilt upgraded the lighting system at its largest packing facility, installed automatic folding doors on cold storage rooms company-wide and developed a system to monitor electricity usage in order to conserve energy.
Reducing Carbon Emissions: In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we successfully transitioned more than half of our company forklifts from propane to electric-powered units. We also coordinate drop-off and pick-ups in order to limit the amount of trucks traveling empty and prohibit Stemilt trucks from idling at shipping.
Water Conservation: Stemilt uses a variety of methods to conserve water, including irrigating only when needed, micro-system sprinklers and ground cover plantings that prevent moisture loss. After changing and turning off water nozzles on our packing lines, we will save more than 60 million gallons of water annually.
Packaging: When redesigning fruit packaging, Stemilt selects environmentally-friendly
materials that are easier to recycle. For instance, a large number of our fruit boxes are printed on Kraft paper, which requires 5% less wood fiber and 20% less water than boxes built from white paper. Kraft also reduces the Biological Oxygen Demand of waste water by about 50 percent, reducing the electricity required to treat the water.
Recycling: Stemilt has a comprehensive recycling program in place for paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum and leftover supplies. Additionally, our local fiber tray manufacturer produces more than 8 million fiber apple trays with Stemilt’s recycled paper. Thus, more than 35% of Stemilt’s annual need for fiber trays comes from our company’s own recycled materials.
Social Responsibility: Stemilt partners with the local literacy council to provide free, on-site English classes for its employees, and offers three scholarships annually through the Washington Apple Education Foundation to benefit local college-bound students. Stemilt has employee health insurance and retirement savings programs and is also actively involved in the local schools, athletics and civic activities.