Pacific Coast Fruit Company scores our sustainability efforts on eight distinct areas: Waste, Water, Packaging, Climate and Energy, Soil Treatments, Community, Employee Practices, and Innovation.
Waste
We recycle office paper, waxed and corrugated cardboard, plastic wrap, pallet wood, hard plastic, metal, and more. In addition, electronic devices removed from service are donated for reuse or recycling.
Our Cattle Farmer Program collects organic waste from our Fresh Cut and Repack facilities for use as a high-quality animal feed.
We use paperless systems for our payroll, invoicing, picking, and ordering systems.
Water
Our Seattle warehouse has a 360 cubic foot Bioswale to help protect the natural wetlands and trail systems surrounding the facility from possible run-off impurities and contaminants.
We regularly test our processing wastewater to ensure it has a neutral pH level and is free of contaminants before it ever reaches municipal water treatment plants.
Packaging
Our Repack and Broken Bench facilities reuse empty boxes.
Climate & Energy
Our facilities use a combination of Fluorescent and LED lighting. All fluorescents are T8’s or better and use less than half the wattage of an equivalent incandescent bulb. All our lighting systems are also motion triggered to reduce power consumption.
Our Portland warehouse has a 9.6 KW Solar array that could power nine average US homes year round.
Our computers and break-room appliances are all ENERGYSTAR certified.
Soil Treatments
We work with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Certified farms to ensure produce is free of bacterial contaminants and the soil is properly nourished for the long-term viability of the farmland.
We source USDA Certified Organic whenever possible. The organic growing process eliminates harsh chemical fertilizers or pesticides, avoiding the build up of these elements in our soil and water systems.
Community
We work with and donate to multiple food banks and other charitable, non-profit, and volunteer run organizations throughout Oregon and Washington including the Oregon Food Bank, Salvation Army, Church Without Walls, Portland Fruit Tree Project, Blanchet House, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Golden Harvesters, Project Community Care, Gleaners of Clackamas County, Generous Venture Gleaners, Clackamas Service Center, and Farestart.
We partner with Greener Fields Together to help promote and improve sustainability practices throughout the produce supply chain. This includes making funding and resources available for family owned farms throughout the region as well as encouraging the industry as a whole to adapt policies and practices that lead to a more sustainable future.
Good Employee Practices
We have a Green Team supported by management and staff in implementing and improving sustainability efforts.
We are a City of Portland GOLD Level Sustainability At Work Certified company.
We support alternative transportation systems for our employees by offering bicycle parking and a bicycle repair kit as well as public transit passes. We also participate in an annual bike commute challenge, encouraging employees to try alternative means of getting to and from work.
Innovation
Our transportation fleet runs off 95-5 bio-diesel and is fueled on-site. Our trucks are also GPS routed for maximum efficiency, reducing the total number of miles on the road and maximizing MPG for reduced emissions.
Our warehouses and processing facilities are Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Level 2.0 Certified and operate with a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. Our Organic items including our processed products are USDA Certified Organic by the Oregon Tilth.
Our electric pallet-jacks and forklifts use high-efficiency rechargeable batteries that have a longer service life than traditional battery packs, meaning fewer batteries are consumed. Rather than going through full discharge cycles, they are also spot-charged, reducing wear and tear on the batteries and increasing charging efficiency.