A Culture of Stewardship
The attention to detail that’s on display in all parts of Herbruck’s operations is clearly evident in our environmental practices. As a family business with more than 50 years of history in this community, we care about the people, land, air, and waterways around us. We practiced sustainability long before it was commonplace.
Herbruck’s demonstrates this commitment to environmental stewardship not just by meeting or exceeding government regulations, but in an array of other ways:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Creative reuse of waste and byproducts:
- Bird litter is captured and processed into dried poultry fertilizer, eliminating waste on our farms and providing an effective alternative to chemical fertilizers
- Eggshells from the breaking plant are dried, sanitized, and added back to our feed as an excellent calcium source
- Responsible waste disposal and waste-water management practices
- Use of recycled content in egg cartons:
- Clear egg cartons made from recycled consumer packaging
- Pulp cartons made from newsprint
- Foam cartons containing 20 percent recycled material
Energy Efficiency
- Low-energy lighting – used in 100 percent of our buildings
- Solar heating – used in several buildings
- High-efficiency heat sources – used to power some processes in our plants
- High-efficiency motors – used throughout our plants
- Grain used as feed is purchased from local growers, avoiding long-distance transportation (6 million bushels of corn/year; 156,000 tons of soy meal/year)
Landscape Design
- Trees and landscaping enhance the view of our properties from roadways
- Green spaces minimize dust and enhance the beauty of our community
Environmental Monitoring
Herbruck’s actively participates in the following programs to control emissions and minimize our environmental impact:
- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, authorized by the Clean Water Act
- Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program
- NAEMES (National Air Emissions Monitoring Study)
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