by-products to make Doritos and other snacks;' starch is reclaimed
and sold, primarily as animal feed, and leftover sludge is burned to
create methane gas to run the plant boiler.
There are benefits besides the potential energy savings. Like
many other large corporations, Frito-Lay is striving to establish its
green credentials as consumers become more focused on environmental
issues. There are marketing opportunities, too. The company,
for example, advertises that its popular Sun Chips snacks are made
using solar energy.
At Frito-Lay's Florida plant, only 3.5% of the waste goes to
landfills, but that is still 1.5 million pounds annually. The goal is
zero waste to landfills. The snack food maker earned its spot in the
National Environmental Performance Task Program by maintaining a
sustained environmental compliance record and making new commitments
to reduce, reuse, 'and recycle at this facility.
Substantial resource reductions have been made in the production
process, with an energy reduction of across Frito-Lay's 34 U.S.
plants. But the continuing battle for resource reduction continues. The
company is also moving toward biodegradable packaging and seasoning
bags and cans and bottles. While these multiyear initiatives are
expensive, they have the backing at the highest levels of-Frito-Lay as
well as corporate executives at PepsiCo, the parent company.
Discussion Questions*
1. What are the sources of pressure on firms such as Frito-Lay to
reduce their environmental footprint?
2. Identify the specific-techniques that Frito-Lay is using to become a
"green manufacturer."
3. Select another company and compare its green policies to those of
Frito-Lay.
*You may wish to view the video that accompanies this case before
addressing these questions.