G&R Farms turned to long-time partner CHEP for the solution. CHEP’s consistent and durable 40x24-inch CarbonNeutral® pooled (shared and reusable) half pallet fit the G&R Farms operations, the retailer’s requirement and the produce section footprint. While the CHEP “share and reuse” business model is inherently sustainable, CHEP takes the next step and achieves net zero carbon emissions for the half pallet by supporting the Mississippi Valley Reforestation Project. Learn more.
CHEP’s half pallet program for G&R Farms started in the Atlanta, Ga., market and has since expanded to all the major retailer’s marketing areas and all of their retail brand divisions nationwide. In addition to delivering sustainability results, the CHEP half pallets increase the exposure of G&R Farms’ onions during peak buying seasons. The farm used a ready-to-display merchandising unit to ensure prime retail placement for ample product inventory. Placement drove an increase in sales, and – as a bonus – the durability of the CHEP half pallets has led to a reduction in unsaleables.
“We work hard to maximize efficiency while ensuring quality control and food safety,” says Dasher. “We are a year-round supplier of sweet onions, so when Vidalias are not in season, we are shipping Peruvian and Mexican onions. Throughout the year, the CHEP CarbonNeutral® half pallet enables us to meet the expectations of retailers, get our sweet onions to consumers and continue to grow our business.
“G&R Farms is dedicated to providing sweet onions that are second to none, and we expect our partners to provide the same top-quality products and services. With this half pallet, CHEP really comes through.”
In a 9-year period, G&R Farms achieved significant environmental savings by using 137,949 CHEP pooled 48x40-inch block pallets.
- Avoided more than 58,600 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, the equivalent of charging nearly 3,400,000 smartphones.
- Eliminated more than 77,700 pounds of solid waste from landfill.
- Demonstrated verifiable results, beginning with CHEP’s use of 99.7% certified timber (PEFC and FSC certifications) all the way to the eradication of empty miles.