Environment

We use an online energy management program to track energy use and emissions 24/7 at all our facilities – bakeries, distribution centers, and warehouses. Any unusual change in energy consumption that may warrant an investigation triggers an alert, notifying the facility’s management.

We improve energy efficiency by looking for ways to incorporate energy-saving measures when upgrading equipment, installing new production lines, or designing new projects.

We want our team to be energy smart. We regularly communicate best practices from around the company and celebrate energy successes with the entire Flowers team.

A large part of reducing our energy footprint is upgrading lighting in our facilities. Since 2015, Flowers has installed LED lighting at over 35 of our 45 bakeries. The new LED fixtures reduce energy use and offer the added benefits of improving lighting levels and reducing heat emission. When renewing warehouse leases, we request LED lighting upgrades and repairs to improve those buildings’ overall energy efficiency.

We upgraded 90+ fixtures with LED lights and motion sensors at one Ohio distribution center. This single action will reduce annual emissions by 167 metric tons of CO2e, equivalent to over 400,000 miles driven by a passenger vehicle.

We continue to upgrade compressed air systems to reduce energy use. These improvements involve installing systems with variable frequency drives, redesigning piping and air nozzles, and repairing air leaks.

Flowers reuses waste heat from ovens at many of our bakeries. For example, our bakery in Lewiston, Maine, captures waste heat to heat water and warm the building during the winter, saving approximately 217 metric tons of CO2e. We also installed heat recovery as part of a bakery upgrade project in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 2020/2021. Waste heat is used for other processes throughout the bakery, eliminating the need for boilers

As we invest in our operations – whether it’s new bakeries, production lines, or upgrades to existing equipment – sustainability and predictability features are integral to the design process.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Better Plants Program recognized Flowers with a Better Project Award at its 2021 Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit. The award recognizes companies for outstanding accomplishments in implementing industrial energy, water, and waste projects at individual facilities, and Flowers was honored for the successful conversion of our Lynchburg, Virginia, facility into an energy-efficient organic bakery.

Energy-saving features included:

A new high-efficiency oven and heat recovery system,

• A new refrigeration system that saves water and energy and eliminates the need for a cooling tower,
• An energy-efficient air compressor requiring half the horsepower of the previous device,
• Installation of LED lights throughout the facility that save energy and reduce heat,
• A new pan cooler, and
• Enclosed dual cooling towers.

The upgraded sustainability features at the plant are expected to reduce annual energy use by 22%.

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20% per metric ton of product
• Reduce water use 20% per metric ton of product
• Achieve zero waste to landfill (98% or greater diversion) company-wide
• Source 100% RSPO-certified palm oil for all cake products and achieve RSPO Supply Chain Certification for all cake bakeries

*Compared to 2015 Baseline

Flowers continues to take advantage of existing backhauls to reduce mileage. Backhauls are the return trip of trucks to the bakeries after a delivery. For example, when we deliver products to the West Coast, we use the return trip to transport ingredients back to our bakeries on the East Coast. We also use backhauls to transport sales displays, pallets, and trays.

Using back hauls to transport other materials avoids fuel waste and improves operational efficiency. By maximizing our existing transport, we reduce mileage and environmental impact.

In 2021, we partnered with our largest DSD third-party transportation provider to test and secure new power equipment for half of their current fleet with us. By purchasing this new equipment, we improved our average miles per gallon (MPG) by 18% and used approximately 360,000 gallons less diesel fuel.

Nurture a culture where sound water stewardship and operational excellence is “business as usual.”

Use resources, knowledge, and expertise to facilitate improvements in water stewardship within the company’s supply chain.

Understand water demand and discharge in relation to the conditions of communities and watersheds where Flowers bakeries operate.

Flowers evaluates current and potential water availability at bakery locations using the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Global Water Tool (WBSCD), the World Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct, and a third-party consultant.

Flowers monitors monthly water consumption across all bakeries and alerts management of any unusual changes in water usage. Bakeries also have access to Flowers’ energy management website and can regularly track their facility’s water consumption. Some take on-site meter readings to monitor water use more frequently and verify invoices.

There are limited opportunities to reuse water in baking processes. When possible, we reuse water for equipment that does not come into direct contact with food products, such as cooling towers. Flowers is exploring ways to expand water metering to improve tracking and help quantify water reuse.

Flowers shares best practices through multiple internal communication platforms, including team meetings, email, and intranet features.

Flowers analyzes water risks across the majority of our wheat and sugar growing regions. Wheat and sugar are two key commodities required for the manufacture of most Flowers products.

As a CDP Supply Chain member, we requested that ingredient suppliers respond to the CDP Water Program in 2021. These suppliers represent more than 75% of Flowers’ annual ingredient spend. We will use this information to better understand potential water risks in our supply chain.

In September 2020, Flowers joined the 10x20x30 food waste initiative. Led by a group of the world’s biggest food retailers and providers, the program offers training and technical assistance to help suppliers reduce food loss and waste in their operations.

Flowers conducts site assessments to identify potential recycling savings and improvements. As a result, we have invested in waste equipment, such as balers and compactors, to improve recycling efforts at several bakeries.

In 2020, we launched a company-wide battery recycling program and expanded our ink and cartridge recycling program to all locations. These initiatives provide containers with pre-paid shipping labels. Once containers are filled and properly packaged, they are mailed to the vendor for recycling. Proceeds are donated to local charities.

Flowers operates compactor monitors at many bakeries. The monitors automatically notify waste haulers when a pickup is needed. These devices provide intelligent monitoring and maximize container capacity to reduce the number of hauls.

Some Flowers warehouses and distribution centers utilize existing relays to return cardboard and stale to central locations for collection and baling. At high-volume warehouses and distribution centers, we have bulk collection systems for both cardboard and stale retrieved from the market.

All of our product bags are 100% recyclable. Over the years, we have right-sized and down-gauged in an effort to use less material and we continue to explore other avenues to reduce material consumption.

Flowers participates in a waste reduction pilot with the DOE’s 20 other Better Plants partners to collectively set, track, and meet waste reduction goals. The pilot will help determine how to expand the program to support other DOE partners.