Firmenich has released its 2012 sustainability report, which tracks its progress in reaching green and other long-term sustainability goals.
The overarching theme is to reach the following goals by 2015: to improve safety performance by 50%, reduce carbon dioxide emissions in absolute terms by 15%, reduce water usage rates by 15%, partially power 90% of its manufacturing facilities with renewable energy, create a sustainability index for 400 key ingredients, complete sustainable natural ingredient sourcing projects in eight countries and impact the lives of 1 million children through improved nutrition and hygiene.
For the seventh consecutive year, Firmenich said it improved its safety performance, with a Total Recordable Case (TRC) rate of 0.63, which represents a 17.1% improvement over the preceding year and an overall 74.1% improvement over five years from FY07 (full-time permanent and temporary employees). Eight of its 26 manufacturing sites achieved zero TRC, with 17 achieving zero Lost Time Cases (LTC). Eight of its sites have gone more than three years without an LTC.
In order areas, Firmenich achieved a 2.6% reduction in energy use compared to the prior year. It also made progress on process water rate reduction, with a 4.8% reduction over the preceding year.
With the installation of an additional solar power project at its Port Newark, USA, flavor site, the company now has 28% of its sites generating renewable energy. In fiscal 2012, the company delivered a one-year reduction of 14.1% in total water use per tonne of production, and a 4.8% decrease in process water use per tonne of production (Firmenich tracks water use in three categories, process water, domestic water and non-contact cooling water). The company set a 2015 sustainability goal to reduce the use of process water by 15% as a rate per tonne of production. Over the rolling five-year period of fiscal 2007 through fiscal 2012, the company posted a 14.9% reduction.
The company also reduced hazardous waste by 4.8% over the preceding year and 35.2% over the rolling five-year period. It also cited improving economic terms for farming communities through increased incomes as a result of better pricing and a focus on buying from the source.
To download the full sustainability report, click here.