NORWICH – The Kerry Norwich plant is celebrating a major win for environmental sustainability with their recent ISO:14001 certification. Developed by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO:14001 is a globally recognized standard which indicates that an organization has developed and adhered to a strict set of environmental policies and regulations within their industry. It is a voluntary approach for organizations to implement an environmental management system (EMS) and demonstrates Norwich’s significant commitment to minimizing their environmental impact.

Frank Crawford, Production Manager at Norwich, served as the ISO:14001 Environmental Management Representative (EMR) and worked alongside a Core Environmental Management Team (CEMT) comprised of more than 15 Kerry employees. They developed four environmental management programs primarily focused on conserving energy, reducing solid waste, improving operational control in waste treatment and preventing contamination of soil and groundwater. “We realize we have a direct impact on the ecosystems around us, including the Chenango River,” said Sara Mele, Environmental Supervisor at Norwich. “As we work with regulatory agencies to ensure compliance, we will be able to adjust to more strict permit requirements within our watershed.” In doing so, they have also realized financial savings with respect to reduced energy utilization, landfill waste and more.

The training, planning and implementation process took approximately two years. In addition to support from upper management, Frank cited teamwork as a primary reason for the project’s success. “The entire workforce and anyone who provides services at the Norwich facility are involved with ISO:14001 to some extent,” he said.