The Path to Zero Waste to Landfill by 2030

Fresh Del Monte Produce is working toward a future in which operational waste is prevented, reused, recycled, composted, or recovered rather than sent to disposal sites. Reaching zero waste to landfill by 2030 will require coordinated action across farms, packing facilities, distribution centers, offices, and processing operations.

This ambition forms part of a broader sustainability strategy focused on responsible production, resource conservation, healthy food, and stronger communities. The company’s sustainability commitments provide the wider context for understanding how waste reduction connects with environmental protection and responsible business practices.

Zero waste to landfill is not achieved through a single recycling project. It depends on accurate measurement, practical changes in daily operations, supplier collaboration, employee participation, and reliable systems for managing materials after they leave a facility. The plan is designed to make waste prevention part of the way Fresh Del Monte operates.

Building A Clear Waste Baseline

The first step is to understand what each operation discards, where that material comes from, and what happens to it afterward. Waste audits can identify food residues, packaging, agricultural materials, maintenance supplies, construction debris, office waste, and regulated materials. Tracking these streams by weight and destination creates a consistent baseline for measuring progress.

Different facilities will have different priorities. A fresh-produce packing operation may generate organic matter and damaged packaging, while a processing site may handle larger volumes of by-products, wastewater-related solids, or used equipment. Regional assessments allow solutions to match local conditions instead of applying one uniform approach everywhere.

The company can use common definitions and reporting methods across its global operations while maintaining flexibility for local infrastructure. Verified data will help identify high-volume waste streams, reveal avoidable losses, and direct investment toward projects with the greatest environmental benefit.

Preventing Waste Before It Starts

The most effective material is the material that never becomes waste. Fresh Del Monte can reduce disposal needs by reviewing purchasing specifications, improving inventory control, repairing equipment, and redesigning processes that create unnecessary scrap. Better forecasting may also reduce excess ingredients, packaging, and agricultural inputs.

Food loss requires particular attention. Produce that does not meet retail specifications may still be suitable for processing, donation, animal feed, or other beneficial uses, depending on safety requirements and local regulations. Better sorting and handling can protect edible products while directing unavoidable organic residues toward composting, anaerobic digestion, or other recovery options.

Packaging design is another important area. Using the right amount of material, selecting recyclable formats, reducing mixed-material components, and working with suppliers on reusable transport packaging can reduce waste at its source. These decisions must preserve food safety, freshness, and product quality while improving end-of-life outcomes.

Turning Materials Into Resources

After prevention, the next priority is finding productive uses for materials. Organic residues can become compost or soil amendments where suitable facilities exist. Reusable crates, pallets, drums, and containers can circulate through supply chains, reducing demand for single-use alternatives and lowering procurement costs over time.

Recycling programs will need clear separation points, compatible materials, and dependable collection partners. Contamination can reduce the value of recovered materials, so signs, training, and well-designed bins are essential. Facilities should also examine whether compacting, baling, or aggregating materials can improve transport efficiency and recycling rates.

The waste hierarchy provides a practical framework for decisions:

Making Facilities Accountable

Achieving the target will require facility-level plans with clear owners, milestones, and escalation processes. Each site can identify its largest waste streams, set reduction targets, appoint trained waste coordinators, and review performance regularly. Local leaders are best positioned to address practical barriers such as limited collection services, storage space, or seasonal production changes.

Performance dashboards can bring together landfill tonnage, diversion rates, recycling volumes, organic recovery, contamination, and waste intensity per unit of production. Reporting both total waste and waste intensity helps distinguish genuine efficiency gains from changes caused simply by production volume.

Progress should be supported by internal reviews and, where appropriate, independent verification. Documenting vendors, treatment methods, weights, and final destinations reduces the risk of misleading diversion claims. It also gives managers reliable information for deciding whether a material is truly being recovered or merely transferred elsewhere.

Working With Employees And Communities

People determine whether waste systems function in practice. Employees need simple instructions, accessible collection points, and training tailored to their roles. Farm teams, line workers, maintenance staff, warehouse colleagues, and office employees may each encounter different materials and need different guidance.

Recognition programs can reinforce good practices, while feedback channels can help identify confusing signage, inconvenient bin locations, or recurring sources of contamination. Contractors and temporary workers should receive the same essential information as permanent employees, particularly in facilities with seasonal labor demands.

Community partnerships can strengthen environmental performance beyond facility boundaries. Local organizations, schools, and residents may contribute knowledge about surrounding ecosystems, collection infrastructure, and environmental risks. Fresh Del Monte’s approach to community environmental monitoring illustrates how local participation can support responsible stewardship and build trust around company operations.

Aligning Suppliers And Customers

A zero-landfill strategy extends across the value chain. Suppliers influence the amount and type of packaging, maintenance materials, agricultural inputs, and transport products entering facilities. Procurement teams can include recyclability, recycled content, reusability, take-back programs, and documented end-of-life treatment in supplier evaluations.

Transport partners also have a role. Reusable load carriers, efficient pallet configurations, and return logistics can reduce material use and avoid unnecessary disposal. Collaboration is especially valuable when a supplier can redesign a component or establish a closed-loop system that a single facility could not create alone.

Customers and retailers can support the transition through packaging specifications, shared recovery programs, and clearer communication about disposal options. Where packaging is necessary to protect food, the objective should be to balance product preservation with material efficiency and realistic recycling infrastructure.

Measuring The 2030 Transition

A credible target requires a definition that can be applied consistently. Fresh Del Monte can establish which sites and waste streams are covered, define acceptable recovery pathways, and identify limited exceptions such as hazardous materials or locations without a safe, lawful alternative. Publishing the methodology will make performance easier to interpret.

Interim milestones can maintain momentum. Early targets may focus on completing audits, eliminating avoidable materials, improving source separation, and diverting high-volume organic and packaging streams. Later phases can address difficult residuals, supplier systems, and facilities where local recovery infrastructure is still developing.

The final measure should be environmental performance, not simply a high diversion percentage. Waste prevention, responsible recovery, safe handling, and transparent reporting must work together. By 2030, success will mean that landfill is no longer the routine destination for operational waste and that remaining exceptions are visible, justified, and subject to further action.

Priorities That Can Accelerate Progress

The following actions can help turn the ambition into a coordinated global program:

• Complete facility-specific waste audits and establish a common baseline for all major operations.
• Prioritize prevention, food recovery, reuse, recycling, and organic processing before considering disposal alternatives.
• Create clear employee training, color-coded collection systems, and contamination checks at every site.
• Include waste reduction, packaging circularity, and take-back options in supplier and contractor requirements.
• Publish annual progress using consistent data, documented recovery pathways, and transparent treatment of exceptions.

Fresh Del Monte’s zero waste to landfill by 2030 plan can become a practical expression of resource stewardship when it is embedded in procurement, production, logistics, and community engagement. The next stage is disciplined execution: measure every significant stream, fund the highest-impact improvements, involve the people closest to the work, and report progress openly.

Explore the company’s sustainability work and follow its progress as farms and facilities move from waste disposal toward prevention, recovery, and circular resource use.