Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Workplace Safety
• Employee Wellbeing
• Food Safety & Quality
• Reducing Carbon Footprint
• Reducing Energy Usage
• Reducing Packaging Waste
• Reducing Food Waste
• Community Investment
• Talent Development

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced total energy usage by 1.38 million kilowatt hours (reducing carbon emissions by 884 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents/MT CO2e) through LED lighting conversion in Florence, SC facility.
• Eliminated 416 tractor-trailer load shipments, avoiding more than 923,000 miles traveled through optimized production locations and order consolidation.
• Eliminated more than 10 million pieces of paper (equivalent to diverting almost 60,000 pounds of waste from landfills) by replacing printed instruction sheets and removing paperboard sleeve inserts.
• Eliminated more than 133,000 pounds of solid waste by eliminating plastic zippers in bulk item packaging.
• Eliminated more than 3,000,000 pounds of food waste through initiatives focused on reducing tortilla overproduction and optimizing baking processes.

Social Achievements

• Reduced total recordable injuries (TRI) by more than 10 percent since 2018.
• Reimagined the onboarding process and created a 30-60-90-day plan tailored to each new team member.
• Provided $535,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors.
• Provided more than $72,000 in grants to teachers through the Ruiz4Kids® Mini-Grants for Teachers Program (MG4T).

Governance Achievements

• All plant locations were recertified BRCGS with an “AA” rating.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing the environmental impact of packaging
• Reducing food waste during manufacturing

Mitigation Strategies

• Implementing new technologies and continuous improvement procedures to reduce food waste.
• Working with customers to reduce packaging and eliminate unnecessary materials.

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Artisan Bistro line of burritos with no artificial colors or flavors
• Breakfast burritos made with cage-free eggs and uncured bacon or pork sausage

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Our People
• Our Products
• Our Planet

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced packaging waste by 425,000 lbs
• Eliminated nearly 473 tons of food waste
• Eliminated more than 325,000 food miles traveled
• Reduced kilowatt hours by 235,000+
• Eliminated 11 million plastic zipper units from bulk packaging
• Eliminated 493,960 vinyl nutrition inserts, replacing with QR codes
• Eliminated an additional 5.6 million pieces of paper using QR codes

Social Achievements

• 25% reduction in Total Recordable Injuries since 2022
• Supported 68 non-profit organizations through the Ruiz Foods Community Giving Fund
• Donated nearly $10,000 to Frisco Family Services
• Awarded $584,500 in Ruiz 4 Kids® scholarships
• Awarded $30,000 in Mini-Grants for Teachers (MG4T)
• Florence, SC team raised over $15,000 for local charities
• Established a new 30-60-90 Day New Hire Onboarding Checklist
• Introduced LinkedIn® Learning online courses
• Launched the Leadership Excellence, Attainment & Development (LEAD) Academy

Governance Achievements

• CSR Leadership Committee comprised of senior leaders and subject matter experts
• Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors reviews CSR efforts bi-annually
• Founded the Culture Women Advisory Task Force
• Partnered with a third-party to assess supplier diversity

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Fire at Dinuba, CA manufacturing facility in February 2023

Mitigation Strategies

• Ensured all team members had employment at other locations with continued wages and benefits
• Made facility upgrades during plant closure

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities