Adrienne Wallace

OASE Intern at Tofurky

  • Industry: Food Processing
  • Project Type: Sustainability/Pollution Prevention Metrics
  • Location: Hood River, Oregon
  • Major/University: Environmental Sciences, Oregon State University

Project Summary

Adrienne Wallace interned with Tofurky, located in Hood River, Oregon, in order to benchmark their sustainability performance and set short and long-term pollution prevention goals that support the company’s mission. She developed an understanding of Tofurky’s current operating systems and set goals that meet upcoming requirements for sustainability reporting in the food manufacturing space. By gathering and analyzing key information across Tofurky’s value chain, this project supports its long-term goals of improving sustainability metrics and integrating annual sustainability assessments and reporting into its operations. 

Potential Impacts

 

By adopting Adrienne’s 2022 “SMART goals” and “2030 Ambitions”, the Tofurky Company can improve their environmental impact and increase efficiency in their manufacturing. Achieving the recommended pollution prevention (P2) actions could result in annual utility cost savings of $208,574, save approximately 3.5 million gallons of water, and reduce emissions by approximately 2,467 tons of CO2 equivalent. These goals provide specific direction and a starting point for the company and represent a commitment to environmental and social stewardship that fit with Tofurky’s mission to make delicious food that respects people, animals, and the planet.

 

$208,574

Annual Utility Savings

 

2,467 tons of CO2

Annual Reduce Emissions

  

3.5 mil. gallons

Annual Water Saved

Background

The Tofurky Company is a plant-based food manufacturer offering a wide range of alternative protein products made in Hood River, Oregon since 1980. As a family-owned business with 200 employees, Tofurky is passionate about focusing on purpose over profits and continuously reducing and preventing their environmental impact. With the vision of creating a more just and environmentally conscious food system, they are committed to creating delicious food while respecting people, the planet, and animals. Tofurky is a B-Corporation certified company and a member of the Plant Based Food Association, with non-GMO & organic certified products. This means they are committed to meeting and exceeding standards regarding environmental responsibility, fair and ethical treatment in the workplace, supply sourcing, and community engagement.

Project Details

Following both the research, measurement, and analysis phases for both projects, four main categories were chosen as the focus areas of impact for sustainability goal setting: energy, water, waste, and supply chain.

The following shows the 2022 SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals that were created by the OASE intern and adopted by the company for their environmental management system and future sustainability program work.

2022 SMART Goals

  • Increase renewable electricity use from 2% to 8% and continue doubling each year until 2025
  • Reduce carbon emissions by 10% from 2020 levels
  • Achieve carbon intensity target of 0.48MT of CO2 per 1 MT of product produced
  • Reduce total water use by 20% from 2020 levels
  • Achieve water intensity target of 1,230 gallons per 1 MT of product produced
  • Reduce total waste to landfill volume by 25% from 2020 levels
  • Reduce material waste to 13%
  • Donate 150,000 meat equivalents of food waste annually
  • Increase THESIS scores from 34% to 50%
  • Complete a Scope 3 Analysis and indentify hotspots for setting targets