November 10, 2022
Six Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives at Post Making a Positive Impact
As one of the largest cereal companies in North America, we have a big responsibility! Not only do we need to make sure our breakfast cereals make it to grocery store shelves so you can always enjoy your favorite Post® cereals, we also need to ensure our processes do not negatively impact the environment and use our resources to reduce food insecurity in our communities.
We strive to produce and package our cereals in a way that reduces environmental impact, provides resources that feed our local communities, and empowers our employees to succeed and embrace themselves. “Doing right” and “bringing joy” are two of our values at Post – and our latest corporate social responsibility programs put them into practice.
Read on to learn about the six key corporate social responsibility initiatives that have been on our plate (and in our bowl) through 2022.
1. Saving Energy and Alternative Energy Sources
Sustainability is an ever-growing priority not just at Post, but in the food CPG industry as a whole. Post’s environmental sustainability program is primarily focused on innovations that reduce water and electricity usage.
Some of our processes that emphasize the use of alternative energy sources include:
- Reducing the amount of water used for sanitation and cleaning across all locations while focusing on equally effective dry-cleaning methods
- Replacing every light in our Northfield, Minn. factory with LED lights (this reduced our energy usage by 10%!)
- Transitioning to electric transportation sources, such as the electric terminal tractor, to reduce pollutants
- Improving waste management programs across all locations
Our efforts don’t stop there. All of our locations continue to innovate in ways that promote environmental sustainability – such as our Northfield plant’s innovation that will recycle water used in their boiler system.
Read on to learn more about our current sustainability programs.
2. Reducing Food Waste at Our Plants
While each of our locations has programs to reduce food waste that focus on using extra ingredients to produce animal feed, composting, and beyond, our Niagara Falls, Ontario plant deserves an honorable mention as our zero-waste-to-landfill cereal plant of over five years!
Our environmental efforts wouldn’t be possible without our passionate employees. Efforts to transition Niagara Falls into a zero-waste-to-landfill plant started with our Plant Director, Mike Knapp, when he first started his role at Post. He called out the opportunity and worked with the team to turn his goal into reality.
Learn more about the processes and procedures followed at our Niagara Falls Plant.
3. Giving Back Through Volunteer Programs and Food Donations
While all our employees share a love for making and selling our iconic products like PEBBLES™ cereal and Grape-Nuts® cereal, they’re also equally passionate about giving back to our local communities through donations, volunteering their time, fundraisers, and more.
As a major cereal company, Post has a unique opportunity to develop brand campaigns that are not only fun to plan but help those in our communities by providing food and other resources.
With both employee and company-led giving back initiatives, we’re able to combat food insecurity in the U.S. through our Ingredients for Good program, Better Together Foundation, the Post Foundation of Battle Creek, and so much more.
Read on to hear from Post employees about some of their favorite volunteer programs and events.
4. The Better Together Foundation
The Better Together Foundation is a charitable giving program founded and managed by Post employees. Since its founding in 1966, employees have been donating time and resources to those facing hardships in our communities, such as food insecurity, medical issues, natural disasters and more.
The foundation also works with a variety of organizations located near our plants and corporate offices, such as the Randolph County Family Crisis Center in Asheboro, North Carolina, Toys for Tots in Northfield, Minnesota, and more.
Hear more stories and experiences from Better Together Foundation members in this article.
5. Fostering Early Career Development
The days of ‘coffee interns’ are long gone – and, in fact, have never been how Post views internships! Our interns get the opportunity to make an immediate splash in the breakfast cereal industry – through food science, engineering, marketing, product development, and more.
Once our internship program ends for the season, it’s not truly over. More than 75% of our 2021 interns continued their careers at Post full time post-graduation. Employees are also encouraged to pursue additional education, certifications, apprenticeships and more.
Read this article to hear career success stories from college interns turned full-time team members.
6. Career Advancement Opportunities for All
No one should have to job hop to achieve their professional goals. Post is a huge proponent of career advancement across all departments. When team members empower each other to develop new skills and inspire them to try something new, great things happen for our employees and company alike!
Giving employees the opportunity to expand their careers in different departments and functions has led to an average tenure of over 10 years – more than two times the manufacturing industry average.
Hear from Post employees that have grown personally and professionally alongside the company.
Post has a lot of exciting corporate social responsibility initiatives in the works right now! Stay up to date on our latest efforts, innovations, and events by visiting our responsibility news page.
