Carolina Co-Packing Environmental Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to reducing our corporate environmental impact across our enterprise including manufacturing, warehousing and logistics as well as upstream to our supply chain and downstream to our wholesale customers. We encourage working with upstream suppliers who partner in our efforts to responsibly and sustainably source our ingredients, packaging materials and other goods and services with respect for the air, land, water, biodiversity and people. We recommend that all suppliers maintain their own internal environmental policies. We require that all Suppliers must fully comply with local and national laws and regulations governing the environment including air pollution, energy sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions, waste disposal, sustainable raw material sourcing, biodiversity, land and animal husbandry, recycling, water use and wastewater treatment.

 

Carolina Co-Packing Ethics Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to establishing and maintaining a high level of ethics in all business transactions and relationships across the enterprise including upstream in relationships with suppliers as well as downstream in relationships with wholesale customers and all the way to the end consumers. We encourage all parties in business transactions to treat all of their employees ethically, this starts with providing employees with the rights guaranteed to them by the United States Department of Labor. All parties need to have ethical consumer relationships by providing high quality, safe products and honoring warranties. We have a commitment to local communities; this includes supporting these communities where the parties interact with customers and the local communities where their operations are located. Ethical organizations need to address different areas of responsibility and consider the social ramifications of their actions. Responsible companies are obligated to meet legal requirements that govern their industries including health and safety standards and fair treatment of employees fall under this type of responsibility.  We support financial responsibility ethics covering everything from fair salaries to fair payments for raw materials and services, and offering fair prices to their customers, included anti-bribery practices.

We make sure that all documents, codes, principles are clear and easy to understand and keep all records and accounting up-to-date.

 

Carolina Co-Packing Human Rights Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to a comprehensive policy supporting human rights. We support the United Nations General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), agreed to in 1948, it is a comprehensive list of inalienable human rights. In December 1966, the UN General Assembly adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These documents set out international goals for the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that are important to all people. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. 30 Articles Total. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. ICCPR Rights.  Freedom from discrimination, right to equality between men and women, right to life, freedom from torture, freedom from slavery, right to liberty and security of person, right to be treated with humanity in detention, freedom of movement, right to fair trial, right to recognition before the law, right to privacy, freedom of religion and belief, freedom of expression, right of peaceful assembly, freedom of association, right to participate in public affairs, right to equality before the law and minority rights.

 

Carolina Co-Packing Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to a workplace and dealing with suppliers who enforce strict policies against slavery and human trafficking. We manufacture food products and within our workplaces we have a strict policy that does not tolerate slavery or human trafficking, and we require that all of our suppliers adhere to the same strict policies.  We believe it is our responsibility to do our part to eradicate slavery and human trafficking. We require the same ethical conduct from all our employees and all of our suppliers. We do not tolerate the use of slavery, child labor, forced labor, or human trafficking in any form in our organization or supplier companies. We prohibit the employment of underage children or forced labor, including slave labor, prison labor, indentured servitude, or bonded labor, as well as any form of abuse including use of force or other means for exploiting them. Global supply chain, we expect third parties throughout our global supply chain to support human rights. We expect all companies we do business with to compensate their employees in accordance with all applicable laws, not to employ underage children or forced labor or allow any form of physical punishment or abuse. All supplier companies must take steps to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place within their organization or organizations with which they work. Freedoms, we support freedom of workers to terminate employment, freedom of movement, and freedom of association. We prohibit any threat of violence, harassment and intimidation, prohibit the use of worker-paid recruitment fees, prohibit compulsory overtime, prohibit discrimination, and prohibit confiscation of workers’ original identification documents. Recruitment and hiring, we have recruitment and hiring processes to safeguard against slavery, human trafficking or forced labor. All employment procedures are thoroughly vetted and comply with all applicable laws. Enforcement, any employee who is found to have violated this policy may face disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, in accordance with and as permitted by applicable laws and our company policies. Contractors and organizations with whom we have a contractual relationship will face termination of our contractual relationship and other remedies available under the applicable contract for violations of this policy.

Carolina Co-Packing Biodiversity Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing commits to innovation and sourcing practices that contribute to a world in which people and biodiversity thrive and commits to ingredient supply chains that have measures in place that contribute to sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The main goal of our biodiversity plan is to promote actions by suppliers that encourage farming practices and cultivation that accommodates maintaining the current biodiversity of a farm ranch or forest, while also ensuring its regeneration and future use. We also have a goal to reduce negative impacts of biodiversity loss, reducing the degradation or destruction of ecosystems, habitats and other areas of production and promotion of ecosystems and habitats., including forests, rangeland, farmland, fallow land, soils and wetlands plus meadows, mountains, semi-natural habitats, ecological corridors, hedges, shrubs, trees, ravines, streams, oceans, ponds, lakes, swamps, rivers, and springs. We support the conservation of species to increase native, protected and endangered species. We respect the regeneration rates and phenological cycles of the used crops. We practice best use case for fertilizers and pest control. Our goal is to reduce alien species, increase beneficial insects, encourage biodiversity corridors, promote cover crops, crop rotation, promote rehabilitation and restoration.

 

Carolina Co-Packing Palm Oil Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to responsible and sustainable palm oil sourcing. We are committed to evaluating all palm oil suppliers for their commitment to sourcing responsibly grown palm oil that does not contribute to deforestation. Palm oil is a versatile and efficient edible oil that supports the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers and uses less land while producing oil yields that benefit the planet. We work closely with our suppliers on initiatives aimed at sustainable transformation of the palm oil supply chain. We comply with all applicable national, state, and local laws and regulations in the markets where we operate and from which we source palm oil. We advocate for best practices on existing palm oil plantations, for conservation and rehabilitation of the land. We also favor human rights on palm oil farms and ethical recruitment, hiring and employment practices for all workers in the palm oil supply chain.

 

Carolina Co-Packing Forestry Policy

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to sustainable practices in food manufacturing related to forestry and timber products. We manufacture food products and put emphasis on sustainable practices throughout our supply chain, from suppliers upstream to customers downstream including forestry and timber products. It is our policy to assist, encourage and support our packaging suppliers in managing forests sustainably to ensure the production of wood and wood products that enter our supply chain. We encourage suppliers to plant two trees for every tree harvested for paperboard products. We work with paperboard suppliers that have independently certified forest practices aligned with the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) forest management standards. We promote compliance with all applicable governmental forestry laws and regulations, encourage sustainable harvesting rates, and emphasize prompt reforestation after harvest. This includes suppliers that are encouraged to maintain healthy forests, minimize losses from wildfire and pests, and protect soil stability and water quality through responsible practices.

Carolina Co-Packing Animal Welfare Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to promoting animal welfare by maintaining a high standard of animal care and welfare in our supply chain. We have a commitment to responsible and humane treatment of animals. We believe that animals should be treated humanely throughout their lives, from breeding to housing and care, and through transport and processing. The primary focus remains advancing animal welfare for laying hens, pigs, broiler chickens, turkeys and beef & dairy cattle. While Carolina Co-Packing is not directly involved in raising or the processing of any animals, we recognize best practices for animal care continue to evolve based on research and industry standards to advance positive changes in our food system and supply chain. Pork. While there is no single agreed-upon industry standard for swine housing. Carolina Co-Packing encourages suppliers to use best industry standard practices with regard to swine health, welfare and breeding, and that at the same time protect workers and preserve access to affordable fresh pork, and ensure that these standards are in place for production facilities. Poultry. We strive to promote high-welfare practices among suppliers raising poultry as an affordable fresh protein option for customers. We have a current goal to achieve industry standard practices in poultry production, health, welfare, and environment. Beef. We are committed to a supply chain that contains suppliers who work to advance and protect animal welfare for the cattle in our supply chain. This encompasses all phases of beef production from breeding, pasture raising, feed operations & processor operations. Animal Testing. Carolina Co-Packing does not conduct animal testing in our manufacturing operations, nor do we require or request that our contract suppliers conduct animal testing on products they produce for us. If we receive information of alleged mistreatment of animals in our supply chain, we actively engage the suppliers to address the concerns using best management protocols and response methodology.

 

Carolina Co-Packing Emissions Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to increasing the consumption of low-carbon energy obtained from our electricity providers, we are actively encouraging our local power company to raise the percentage of low-carbon energy sources in their power generation to supply our plant. We call for climate-related goals and progress toward more sustainable energy sources. We aim to transition to renewable energy and reduce our carbon footprint and environmental stewardship. We request our suppliers to comply with making climate related goals that are based on a science-based emissions reduction target.

 

Carolina Co-Packers Sustainability Policy

 

Carolina Co-Packing is committed to consideration of the environment as we operate our food manufacturing and distribution systems in a way that produces world class food products while at the same time keeping a keen focus on our sustainable approach to energy use, waste products, water, forests, packaging, and transportation efficiencies that conserve resources. Our pillars; Energy, climate and environmental issues are forefront when considering usage of electrical, natural gas, heating, chilling systems, and water use and finding renewable resources and sustainable practices. Waste, we utilize industry-leading methods of recycling waste products by sorting for optimal utilization. Solid waste output streams are managed with processing partner companies that maximize the recycling of paperboard and other waste products. Nature; the stewardship of our forests has a direct connection to the packaging materials that we use every day, to package the foods we make to arrive at the consumers table with superior integrity. On that journey we are making big strides in both the recyclability of our packaging materials post use, as well as recyclable materials in manufacturing of the products, creating a circular sustainable loop. Sustainability in forestry, croplands and animal husbandry ranching are a key initiative of our raw material supply partners. Product Design; Product design plays a pivotal role in promoting sustainability by integrating eco-conscious principles throughout the development process. Sustainable product design strives to minimize environmental impact and enhance resource efficiency. It involves selecting eco-friendly materials, reducing energy consumption, and designing products for longevity and recyclability. Transportation; Sustainable Transportation is more than energy efficient trucking, we go beyond into warehousing utilization and to package/case/pallet design that creates optimization throughout the supply chain. Packaging; packaging materials have made great strides in sustainability in recent years, more packaging suppliers are incorporating thinking about benefits to the environment in their materials and the sourcing/origin of the raw materials. People, consideration of the human element and how sustainability interacts with our employees and customers is critical to the success of our plan. This begins with measurement, analysis and action build out a state-of-the-art facility with offices, welfare areas, storage and factory floors that exceed the high standards of our food industry.