How We Do Zero Waste

Written by Alyssa | March 18, 2018

Living a zero waste lifestyle is no easy task. Consuming less, getting rid of clutter, and eliminating packaging waste at home is one thing. Reducing waste for a company the size of Mountain Rose Herbs, a company with 200 employees operating in eight facilities, is a different story. We’d love to share how we strive for zero waste. It started with dedicated employees and a fierce commitment to environmental stewardship.

In 2007, we created a zero waste policy. By 2012, we started to track our waste diversion for our first Sustainability Report which gave us baseline data we use to measure progress. It also allowed us to become the first company in Oregon to receive the third-party Zero Waste Facility Certification from Green Business Certification Inc. Not only did we make history in the state of Oregon, but we also achieved the highest available certification – Platinum! And then, in 2017, we diverted 97.6% of waste from the landfill!

In order to keep so much of our waste out of the landfill we:

Evaluate all potential waste for its potential to be recycled, composted, or reused.
Collect all unusable essential oils and carrier oils to be salvaged for biodiesel.
Ensure all styrofoam is reclaimed, reused, or recycled.
Take all broken and unused electronics to a local facility for proper restoration or recycling. (We also encourage our employees to bring in their old electronics, so we can help keep their homes waste-free and e-waste out of the local landfill too!)
Send all unused botanicals to be composted at a commercial composting facility or picked up by local farmers and nurseries who need our sweet herbs to make their own compost.
Encourage employees to take the nine-week course to become a Master Recycler.

These are just a few procedures in place through our program. We want to follow the cycle of the natural world, which produces no waste and utilizes all resources to support life on our precious planet. How you reduce waste where you live and work? Leave us a comment!

How We Do Zero Waste

Want to learn about more ways to live a waste-free life?