Energy
Energy management at Seara is monitored by a multidisciplinary team of engineers who work in partnership with plant teams and the corporate area, assessing performance and adopting strategies to bring down consumption and make the Company more energy efficient.
Seara sets individual annual targets to reduce energy, by branch, with monthly supervision by the executive board and daily management by units. Electricity purchased on the open and incentivized markets as well as the use of biomass to generate steam are some of the actions aimed at diversifying the Company’s energy mix.
Seara’s energy matrix includes 91.7% renewable energy, considering direct energy use (electricity, thermal energy and use of fuel in general). If we consider fuel use in boilers to generate thermal energy, renewable energy use rises to 97.4%. In 2019, investments of R$8 million were made in energy efficiency projects at the Company.
Waste management
Based on the guidelines of specific JBS policies for this theme and by the National Solid Waste Policy, Seara aims to reduce waste generated and consequently sent to industrial landfills. This necessarily includes application of the Company’s critical suppliers program, which establishes correct disposal of all waste generated by suppliers and carriers along with final waste disposal. Centers at Seara units receive waste and correctly dispose of it, including recyclable waste, which is sorted and sold to specialized companies.
With the goal of enhancing this procedure, in 2019, mapping began on Seara production units qualified to receive JBS Ambiental projects, which will make it possible to better sort and use waste, along with applying specialized management of this topic.
In the area of reverse logistics, the pallet center manages the processes involved in collecting, purchasing, shipping and supplying plants with this material. The result of this initiative is wider reuse of wood through actions such as changing the logistics system to reduce shipping, performing supply studies for plants, collecting pallets from customers in various regions in Brazil and improving accountability management with carriers.
At Seara, 286,000 metric tons of industrial waste were reused for composting, recycling, energy reuse and cogeneration, accounting for over 70% of total waste generated. Of this total, 1,000 metric tons were used to generate energy. In addition, Seara lowered waste generation by 17% in 2019, compared to the previous year. In 2019, Seara invested over R$ 440,000 in waste management improvements.
Packaging
Packaging is an essential item when it comes to guaranteeing quality and to the consumer experience with Seara products, since it is responsible for providing food with safety and protection from the moment it is prepared to consumption. Nevertheless, its disposal may create an environmental liability that should be proactively managed in compliance with local and national laws.
To make this possible, part of the Company’s investment in research and development is aimed at finding ways to reduce and optimize packaging use, particularly when it is not in direct contact with food, helping to lower waste volumes and the costs associated with this.
It is important to note that approximately 80% of packaging volume for Seara products come from renewable sources.