Steve Loehndorf, Reser’s technical director, explains that quality and reputation are everything to his company: “Green technology has been something we’ve focused on for decades. It’s engrained in our agronomy and corporate culture at Reser’s.”

He adds that green practices at Reser’s include the development and growth of local crops to control the quality of its products and radically reduce shipping and transportation costs. Reser’s also recovers its organic waste material, such as potato peels, and sells them as animal feed to local operators.

When Reser’s built a new water pretreatment facility at its Topeka, Kansas, salad plant, employees discovered an innovative way to divert vegetable oil and grease so it could be used as a biofuel. The new processes were included in Reser’s new plant at Halifax, North Carolina, and are in use today.

Another growing environmental trend among companies is finding ways to offset the carbon footprint of their employees. The average American produces 20 tons of carbon dioxide every year. The primary greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons, have been growing steadily as the Earth’s population booms and demand for products increases. Fears are that if people keep producing these gases at increasing rates, the results will be negative and could result in more severe floods and droughts, a harmful level of insects, rising sea levels, and the potential redistribution of the Earth's precipitation.

But quality managers and environmental officers aren’t standing still. Many are finding innovative ways to reduce their company’s output of carbon dioxide. For example, Rejuvenation has in place an alternative commuting program that encourages employees to ride bikes and use public transportation to reduce their carbon footprint. Rejuvenation also participates in a carbon offset program that contributes money to nonprofit organizations that plant trees to absorb their employees’ carbon footprint. Although these types of programs cost money, the goodwill such programs create among consumers, combined with the favorable publicity they receive, outweigh the costs of participating in a carbon offset initiative, according to Sunshine Morrison of Radiance Communications, a Northwest-based public relations firm.

The green movement has also produced some unexpected benefits for companies. “Our commitment to going green has taught our employees to think beyond ‘compliance’ and become systems thinkers,” says Shay. “This shift in how we approach problems has been a major boon to solving issues and helping us become more innovative in all areas of our company, not just the quality department.”

There are formal steps companies can take to convert their environmental compliance initiatives into a competitive advantage in the marketplace. One way, according to Gary Plantz, chairman of the nonprofit American Consumer Council (ACC), is to be formally certified for your environmental compliance. The ACC is ranked among the leaders for its Green C certification program. This progressive certification program certifies and recognizes companies that successfully respond to ACC’s Green C certification criteria. For new and existing buildings, the U.S. Green Building Council offers the LEED certification. Specific products can also be certified by Green Seal, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.

Another effective way to educate employees and consumers on the importance of going green is to follow the five R’s of sustainability: rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle, and report out on your achievements (the fifth R varies; other options include repurchase, replenish, respect). As more quality managers assume responsibility for their company’s environmental compliance and sustainability initiatives, there’s genuine hope that their training and discipline will yield long-term, meaningful solutions that not only preserve our natural resources but contribute to the bottom line.