Harry & David Green Promise

At Harry & David, we believe that minimizing our impact on the environment is simply the right thing to do. We demonstrate this commitment in all aspects of our business – from sustainable farming, to recycling, to responsible purchasing … and we've been doing it for nearly three decades.

Marketing

By increasing our investment in our e-commerce division, we’ve successfully moved a large number of catalog customers to our Internet site. We’ve been able to eliminate over 37 million catalogs from the mail-stream, resulting in paper reduction of approximately 35%, or 9,310,000 pounds compared to our 2003 consumption.

Through refined database marketing, targeted product assortments and enhanced Internet promotions, we’ll continue to utilize our website to further reduce material consumption. And currently in development is our new Customer Preference Center where our customers can let us know exactly what catalogs they'd like to get, effectively reducing unwanted mailings.

Operations

Because we manufacture and grow much of what we sell, our Green Promise goes beyond our Marketing team. In all of our office and manufacturing facilities, we ensure energy and waste reduction are a priority. Here are our top accomplishments:

Energy Conservation

Every year we save over 5,000 megawatt hours of electricity by employing high efficiency lighting, combustion improvements to our steam boilers, and computer-controlled HVAC and refrigeration systems, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by more than 5,000 tons annually.

We offset an additional 1000 tons of CO2 annually by participating in the following programs:

• The Green Tag program to help establish wind generation facilities in Northeastern Oregon
• Helped fund the Jackson County Expo Solar Energy Project.

Recycling:

We have a robust recycling program in all of our facilities. Our team is dedicated to collecting, sorting and transporting paper and packaging materials for recycling. Our program began in 1989, and our hard work earned the US Conference of Mayors Recycling at Work Award for Environmental Responsibility. Over the past 23 years, we’ve recycled over 31,000 tons of paper fiber alone. Here are our current benchmarks for recycling:

• We recycle more than 75% of our office paper and 99% of all corrugated materials.
• Over 64% of the solid waste including cardboard, paper products, all plastic, steel, wood, oil, antifreeze, electrical wire, florescent light bulbs and glass is recycled today.

Agriculture / Orchard

Harry & David is unique because farming and stewardship of the land is the heart of our business. Our famous sustainably grown Royal Riviera® Pears come from more than 725,000 of our own trees growing right here in the Rogue River Valley. In total, our orchards offset almost 22,000 tons of CO2 each year. We have aggressively addressed water conservation, landfill reduction and natural pest management. Here are some key accomplishments from our orchard team:

• The Carbon Sequestration rate of our combined orchards is 22,000 tons of CO2 per year.
• Harry & David participates with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality workgroups to identify best management practices and to encourage composting as a means for solid waste management.
• Harry & David worked with landowners, state and federal agencies, and environmental advocates on a Rogue River stream channel restoration project to develop high-value salmon-rearing reaches.
• The company has three organically certified Royal Riviera® Pear orchards, totaling 94 acres in organic production.
• Because of the success using an Integrated Pest Management program to achieve a balance between beneficial and harmful pests and organisms in orchards while continuing to maintain the highest gift quality fruit, Harry and David has been able to eliminate the use of organophosphate pesticides in their orchards for the last five years.
• Through field monitoring, tracking of insect life cycles and analyzing leaves in the laboratory we have reduced synthetic insecticide use by almost 50%, and broad-spectrum insecticide use has been decreased by 96%.
• Harry & David has upgraded the irrigation systems on most of its orchard properties, to reduce water consumption by over 30%.
• Propane-fired heaters are replacing diesel-fired smudge pots for frost protection. Additional frost protection is provided by water systems, plus investment in 165 wind generating machines to keep cold air from settling.

Logistics / Fulfillment

We’re committed to our customers receiving their gifts on time and in perfect condition. Our Logistics team has worked hard to make timely transportation of product as energy efficient as possible. By working closely with our carriers and establishing regional distribution, we’ve been able to significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Key accomplishments include:

• Increased use of ground transportation by strategically locating distribution centers, reducing CO2 output by approximately 4450 tons annually.
• By increasing trailer load factors, we've reduced fuel consumption by 333,000 gallons over the past three years.

Our Suppliers

Printing and paper purchasing agreement

We ask that all of our paper and print suppliers agree to strict environmental criteria. This assures their commitment to sustainability and conservation is as robust as our own. Here's what we ask of our print and paper suppliers:

Paper Suppliers

• No paper will contain wood fiber from endangered old growth or endangered forest ecosystems.
• All wood fiber must come from forests managed for sustainability. In addition, all suppliers must have a strategic plan, complete with measurable targets to increase the quantity of fiber from third party certified forests. Acceptable third party certifications include Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Canada’s National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (CAN/CSAZ809), Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and credible point of harvest certifications systems such as Master Logger and American Tree Farm. Suppliers will report progress on a biannual basis.
• A certified “Chain of Custody” procurement system is required of all manufacturers. This certified system ensures accurate reporting of the origin of all wood fiber used in the manufacturing process. Acceptable certifications include: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI).
• Bleaching processes will contain no elemental chlorine.
• Wastewater effluent in paper making facilities must meet or exceed EPA standards for dioxins.
• Paper suppliers must re-forest every acre of land harvested as expressed in the certification for sustainability systems mentioned above.
• Paper suppliers will limit the use of chemicals and herbicides and use compounds with low ecological impact.
• Paper suppliers will participate in the EPA's Climate Leader program (or similar programs with comparable targets), to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and measure and record progress.
• Paper suppliers will have and publish a Code of Ethics, as well as anti-bribery and corruption policies to avoid conflict with environmental goals.
• Paper suppliers will report all relevant legal challenges concerning the environment to Harry & David.
• Where the net effect of adding post consumer waste to the fiber mix has a positive impact on the environment including but not limited to; resource conservation, energy use and emission levels, paper supplied to Harry & David Operations will contain at least 10% post consumer waste.
• All paper supplier facilities will encourage employees to recycle their personal printed material and provide receptacles on site for collection.

Printers

• All print facilities must have recycling operations for scrap metals, cardboard, pallets, shrink-wrap, printing plates and ink.
• Hazardous materials such as solvents and inks must be reclaimed for recycling or reuse.
• All paper waste generated must be recycled.
• Low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and alcohol free fountain solutions must be utilized.
• Computer-to-plate technology (filmless plating), must be the standard plating process.
• All facilities will encourage employees to recycle their personal printed materials and provide receptacles on site for collection.