Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Change
• Waste Reduction
• Water Management
• Biodiversity
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
• Employee Well-being
• Supplier Diversity
• Ethical Sourcing
• Governance

Environmental Achievements

• Completed first greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, showing nearly 51,000 MTCO2e emissions.
• Reduced electric consumption by 10% in owned buildings since 2020.
• Reduced propane usage by 17% from 2021 to 2022.
• Achieved Energy Star certification for headquarters and distribution center.
• Diverted 5,805 tons of waste from landfills.
• Reduced emissions by 8,824 MTCO2e.
• Recycled 853,362 tons of corrugate.
• Implemented a foam crusher to compress and recycle foam inserts.
• Increased the sustainability of one customer’s operations by proposing they switch to reusable boxes, reducing material consumption by the equivalent of the carbon emissions of 111 cars driven for a year.

Social Achievements

• Launched Learning Management System (LMS) with 234 eLearning courses, resulting in 2,571 hours of training completed in 2022.
• Offered on-site Covid-19 and flu vaccinations.
• Offered mobile mammogram screenings.
• Corporate wellness partnership with the YMCA.
• Provided resources for employees impacted by Hurricane Ian.
• Volunteered over 300 hours in 2022 through various community initiatives.
• Surveyed supplier base to understand diversity composition.

Governance Achievements

• Established a Sustainability Committee with cross-functional representation.
• Created a Sustainability department.
• Completed EcoVadis Business Sustainability Rating Survey.
• Developed policies and procedures to track ESG metrics.
• Implemented educational campaigns for employees and stakeholders.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing Scope 3 emissions (primarily from transportation).
• Achieving zero waste status.
• Complete water mapping of all locations.
• Supply chain disruptions.
• Reducing reliance on carbon offsets.

Mitigation Strategies

• Exploring intermodal shipping and electric vehicles for transportation.
• Joined EPA SmartWay program.
• Implementing waste reduction strategies (reduce, reuse, recycle).
• Utilizing renewable energy credits (RECs) and carbon offsets.
• Prioritizing complete water mapping of operations in water-stressed areas.
• Working with suppliers to improve sustainability performance.
• Investing in cleaner transportation options and on-site renewable energy.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Sustainable sourcing of materials.
• Adherence to fair work standards.
• Prohibition of forced labor and child labor.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Flooding
• Droughts

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes
• Market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of sustainable packaging solutions.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Greenhouse Gas Protocol

Certifications: Energy Star, FSC®, SFI

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
• Goal 5: Gender Equality
• Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• Goal 13: Climate Action
• Goal 15: Life on Land
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Premier's initiatives contribute to these goals through various programs and partnerships.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Innovative paper alternatives to plastic packaging.
• Sustainable cold chain packaging.

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environment
• People
• Governance

Environmental Achievements

• Achieved net-zero scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of carbon offsets and renewable energy credits.
• Installed a foam densifier and plastic chippers in Louisville, KY plant to recycle foam scraps and plastic strapping more efficiently.
• Reduced propane use by 38% since 2021 by transitioning to electric forklifts.
• Diverted 2.4 tons of foam and 5.3 tons of plastic strapping from landfill.

Social Achievements

• Launched "Packaged for Excellence," an immersive onboarding experience for new hourly employees.
• Salaried employees completed 1,870 hours of professional development training.
• Launched a webinar series, Premier Knowledge Network, with 154 live participants and 101 viewing recordings.
• Employees donated 270 hours of volunteer time during "Day of Giving" events.

Governance Achievements

• Formalized longstanding sustainability practices into formal policies and codes of conduct.
• Established new systems and practices to expand datasets for energy, water, and waste generation.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Downstream transportation of finished products to customers is the largest source of GHG emissions.
• Need to expand data collection on water use across all facilities.
• Recycling scrap foam and plastic strapping without additional processing.

Mitigation Strategies

• Joined EPA SmartWay® program to find more efficient carriers and transportation strategies.
• Working with landlords to gather utility bills for complete water use data.
• Installed foam densifier and plastic chippers to recycle scrap materials.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct (addresses environmental management, corruption, and human rights)

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Greenhouse Gas Protocol

Certifications: FSC®, SFI®, Energy Star®

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17

See pages 28-29 for details.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Paper air pillows
• Molded pulp containers

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed