Grupo Bimbo protects the environment to nourish a better world

Today we take pride in commemorating World Environment Day. This year, unlike past years, the UN is dedicating the observance to measures that prevent, detain and revert ecosystem degradation in every continent and sea.

We want to spread word that everything we do at Grupo Bimbo is made up of sustainable materials that benefit our planet. Our strategy breaks out along four principal pillars; specifically reducing the carbon footprint, integrated waste-management, environmental standards, and regenerative water as well as agriculture.

REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT

We’re convinced that climate change is not the planet’s natural cycle. That’s why we focus on two lines of action, specifically reducing our own energy and fuel consumption, as well as driving renewable-electricity and alternative-fuels use that reduces our impacts.

Thanks to best-practices applications and new materials-technologies we’ve achieved a 9% reduction equivalent to more than 146 thousand metric tons of CO 2 on the 2020 global level.

As well, our refrigerants strategy seeks to gradually replace high-impact refrigerants with natural or low-potential global-warming ones. Currently we are using one-third natural refrigerants and our 2025 goal is to completely migrate to refrigerants that do not affect the ozone layer.

We’ve also managed to go from 49 to 80% renewable energy use, on the global level versus baseline. We’re proud to announce our Argentine operations became the first food business in that country to operate on 100% renewable electrical energy, thanks to three wind farms that supply our production plants. This allows us to reduce emissions by 14 thousand metric tons of CO 2 yearly.

In December of last year, we unveiled the Metropolitan Distribution Center and Mexico’s largest solar roof installation. It will permit us to provide 100% of the electrical energy consumed on site, the equivalent of eliminating almost 1400 metric tons of CO 2 every year.

INTEGRAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

Another way to reduce carbon footprints is by means of actions such as innovating ourpackaging. Thanks to new designs, today 92% of packages are recyclable. The goal for 2025 is they all be recyclable, biodegradable or compostable.

Additionally, all our other packaging improvements from 2010 to the present have led us to reduce new plastic consumption by approximately 3.6 million kilograms.

We have different phases and strategic materials in our integrated waste-management process that drive actions for handling our discards responsibly. As a consequence, we were able to achieve 95% recycling throughout our operations; 53 international plants earned “zero sanitary landfills” status.

We’re also about practices to increase recycling our wastes by promoting a circular economy with providers. For example, in Mexico we do a petri-test with recycled matter to reach a 50% weight reduction.

For improved availability when it comes to our materials, we maintain partnerships that drive and promote actions that favor post-consumer recycling in the countries where we do business.

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

By leveraging sustainable agricultural practices over 14,800 hectares, we achieved a benefit for more than 940 farmers as well as saved 8 million m 3 in irrigation. It was thanks to support from the Bimbo Sustainable Corn and Wheat Program with collaboration from CIMMYT and our providers.

Because of new tools and technologies we can monitor deforestation levels in our supply chain and apply better practices; we have improved traceability by 96% for palm oil and 88% for soybeans in risk areas.

Another notable point in opposition to deforestation has to do with paper and cardboard, since 60% of what we use comes from certified, sustainable or recycled sources. Our goal is to reach 100% by 2025.

ENVIRONMENTAL HYDRAULIC STANDARDS

At Grupo Bimbo we’ve focused on three key lines-of-action to reduce our water footprint. We’ve reduced water consumption, treat and reutilize that water; we use alternative sources such as rainwater collection.

Our cleaning processes are those that represent our principal water consumption. It meant advocating for standardization and thanks to this change, we were able to reduce water consumption by 159 million liters worldwide over 2019.

In sales and distribution centers we carry out actions to reduce our water use impact and today we have rainwater collection at 76 workplaces.

With all these actions, we reaffirm that we will care for the environment and everything it provides for present and future generations. We will continue to develop our commitment to being a sustainable, highly productive and transparently human company.