HUNTS POINT, NY – With sustainability making a huge mark in our industry, Baldor Specialty Foods is the latest company to make a sizable accomplishment in the realms of an ecological responsibility. The company announced that it has successfully diverted 100 percent of organic waste generated in its production operations.

According to a press release, this move was made possible through the company’s SparCs initiative–which is the word “scraps” spelled backwards. Baldor and its SparCs initiative has already been gaining notoriety, such as through a recent TODAY Show feature.

“We pride ourselves on being innovators and trailblazers in all facets of specialty food distribution,” stated Baldor CEO, TJ Murphy. “SparCs is just the next logical manifestation of that commitment, and we’re happy to present this sustainability model for others in the industry to adopt.”

Baldor’s organic waste that is generated from its Fresh Cuts operation will all be diverted from landfills. Baldor processes over one million pounds of produce each week, thus resulting in the need for a multi-faceted approach to re-use organic food waste by prioritizing human consumption whenever possible.

“We had to stop referring to these food products as waste,” said Baldor Sustainability Director Thomas McQuillan. “It’s food. Usable, nutritious, and delicious food. We just needed to find ways to consume it.” 

Through McQuillan’s prevention strategy, Baldor is partnering with companies such as Washington DC’s MISFIT Juicery, who recovers unsellable and blemished produce for its cold-pressed juices. Baldor will now be sending its food trim to MISFIT to be made into juices.

Baldor’s SparCs will also be featured in a specialty line of soups, sauces, and cookies made by Manhattan-based Haven’s Kitchen. The café and cooking school will use Baldor’s products in alignment with its dedication to forming a community based on cooking and eating.

Baldor asserted that for other parts of produce items which are unfit for human consumption, such as cantaloupe rinds and mango pits, McQuillan worked with several partners in order to repurpose these items into animal feed. This partnership includes Brick Farm Market from Hopewell, New Jersey.

Other organic materials which can not be used for human or animal consumption will be processed with an on-site waste-to-water system. 

The new year will bring plenty of new opportunities for the company as Baldor continues to develop new ways to keep organic matter out of its waste stream, including already in the works plans to cultivate a dried vegetable blend or “flour” that can provide a nutrient-dense boost to soups, smoothies, baked goods, and more.

For more information on Baldor’s journey to zero waste check out its piece “3 Powerful Lessons We Learned By Eliminating Food Waste.” The company also has a host of recipes incorporating SparCs, viewable here.

Baldor