Cardboard
Turner’s significantly decreases the amount of cardboard that is circulated around town by packing products in our iconic orange crates, however some cardboard is still in our facility. (By utilizing returnable crates, we keep approximately 6 million cardboard boxes out landfills annually) Most of this cardboard is received as raw ingredient packaging that will be used to produce a variety of products. We recycle as much of this cardboard as possible. 5,500 pounds of cardboard are removed from our compactor every 14 days to be recycled by our waste management company. This adds up to a yearly total of 143,000 pounds of recycled materials!
Oil
In addition to producing and distributing dairy and tea products, Turner’s is also equipped with a fully operational diesel garage to service our fleet of about 100 trucks. The oil in each truck is changed regularly as a part of routine maintenance. Instead of discarding the used oil, it is repurposed to heat the garage. By reusing the oil, we can use a traditional natural gas furnace only as a backup. In a typical year, the used engine oil is enough to maintain the temperature of the garage at 70 degrees during the winter months!
Reusing and upcycling items is something that Turner’s tries to implement where possible. 5-gallon plastic buckets and 55-gallon stainless steel drums are items that we are currently working to repurpose throughout our processing plant. If you have a need for these items, please contact us!
Products
Sustainability is something that we can all have a part in. Small steps can truly lead to large changes.
While disposable, much of Turner’s product packaging—such as the plastic pints, half-gallons, and gallons are recyclable. Made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, * our packaging provides a sanitary and convenient way to distribute products. In addition to being recyclable, Turner’s paper cartons are also compostable.
HDPE is one of the most widely accepted plastics for recycling and one traditional milk jug can be recycled up to 7 times! HDPE can be transformed into a variety of products including toys, outdoor furniture, and of course more milk jugs! Learn more about the recycling process at recyclethejug.com. Click here to see how we are reducing our energy consumption through efficiency, automation, and recapturing energy sources in our processing facility.
*Be sure to check with your local recycling center for their specific recycling requirements.
