Wastonville, CA: Driscoll Strawberry Associates, distributor of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, has formed a partnership with Orlando, FL-based CHEP, provider of pallet and container pooling systems.
CHEP pallets are used to transport Driscoll’s organic and conventional berries from farms along the East Coast, West Coast, and in Mexico to supermarkets, club stores, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors throughout North America.
Emmett Linder, Driscoll’s vice-president of operations, said environmental sustainability is a key benefit of using the CHEP pallet pooling program.
“We view the CHEP program as a key element to achieving our long-term sustainability program goals,” he says. “Through our partnership with CHEP, Driscoll’s is projected to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 146 tons per year.”
Based on a third-party life-cycle inventory analysis, the CHEP pooling system is expected to allow Driscoll’s to reduce solid waste generation by more than 387,000 pounds, decrease greenhouse gas emissions by about 292,000 pounds, and achieve electricity savings that would power 216 homes per year.
Driscoll’s has been working with CHEP for more than 10 years pursuing projects focused on process improvements, in addition to its recent sustainability initiatives.
