Albuquerque expansion becomes LEED certified

August 02, 2011

General Mills Corporate Communications

The recent expansion at the General Mills plant in Albuquerque, N.M., became the first General Mills production facility to earn environmentally friendly LEED certification.

The plant joins a growing list of General Mills LEED-certified facilities.

The new facility, which produces Nature Valley crunchy granola bars, earned LEED “Gold” certification for its many environmental features. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, recognizes four levels of environmental achievement: platinum, gold, silver and “certified.”

Among the environmental benefits of the new facility are:

• A 28 percent reduction in energy use over our most energy-efficient plant, primarily due to a proprietary high-efficiency oven on the production line that is used for toasting.
• A 32 percent reduction in indoor water use due to the installation of high-efficiency faucets and toilets, and a 67 percent reduction in irrigation water after native vegetation (that does not require as much water as turf grass) was used for landscaping.
• A more aggressive recycling program that has practically eliminated the plant’s waste paper, plastics, cardboard, and packaging materials – as well as overage waste from the production line itself.  

The environmental improvements are so significant that FoodProcessing.com has nominated the plant as one of three sites for its 2011 Food Processing Green Plant of the Year.

The Albuquerque expansion joins four other General Mills LEED-certified buildings.

Pursuing LEED certification is part of the company’s overall goal to stand among the most socially responsible consumer food companies in the world. Last October, the company set new sustainability goals.

 

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