National Baking
Sustainability Efforts

National Baking Company is well-known for being quick to adapt and apply cutting-edge technology to its processes. Today, the company still embodies the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the Hendrickson family, and what Karl Hendrickson displayed when, ahead of his competitors, he introduced sliced and wrapped bread and islandwide delivery – completely revolutionizing the baked goods industry.

Going Green

Gary “Butch” Hendrickson, current CEO, continues that modernisation trend with a brilliant team that is inspired to continuously seek and observe best practices. Their efforts can be seen in the upgrades that have been made over the years:

  • Solar-powered lamps are used in all parking lots.
  • Cardboard boxes and recycled plastic trays are used for carrying bread and buns during deliveries.
  • Propane replaced diesel fuel in all ovens, for cleaner emissions.
  • National’s delivery trucks use a combination diesel and biodiesel. Recycled cooking oil from local restaurants and leftover vegetable oil used to prepare products such as peanuts and cashew are used to create biodiesel. The company has been recycling leftover cooking oil since 2007.
  • National has its own fuelling station at the St. Andrew location and processes the biodiesel on site.
  • The fuelling system is equipped with sensors that indicate if there is a leak to prevent contamination of the underground water supply.
  • All the plastic used for bread and roll bags are 100 percent biodegradable and are stamped with the biodegradable seal. These bags break down within nine months to five years after being discarded. The upgrade was made with no change in the cost of the final product to consumers.

Considering today’s environmental concerns, manufacturing green efforts are a very important aspect of social responsibility – a term that is embedded in the company’s culture. The National Baking Company team continues to explore opportunities for sustainable manufacturing. Doing so not only helps the environment but will also, in the long run, lead to great energy efficiency, which can be passed on as savings to consumers.

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