Sustainability FAQs

• Scope 1 covers direct GHG emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization, such as on-site fuel combustion.
• Scope 2 includes indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy (e.g., electricity, heat or steam) that the organization uses.
• Scope 3 encompasses all other indirect emissions in the value chain, such as raw material production, transportation, product use, and disposal.

“Cradle-to-gate” refers to an LCA model that assesses environmental impacts from the extraction of raw materials (“cradle”) up to the point a finished product leaves the manufacturing facility (“gate”). This scope excludes the use and disposal phases, focusing on upstream impacts such as raw material sourcing, production energy, and packaging.

Our assessment measured emissions from raw material extraction through processing and packaging at both Melrose, MN, and St. Johns, MI facilities— quantified per tonne of finished spray-dried whey permeate.

• ISO 14040 specifies principles and a framework for conducting LCAs, including defining goal and scope, inventory, impact assessment, and interpretation phases.
• ISO 14044 sets requirements and guidelines to ensure completeness, consistency, and transparency in LCA studies.
• ISO 14067 defines principles and requirements for quantifying and reporting a product’s carbon footprint (CFP), ensuring consistency with ISO 14040/14044. ISO 14067 is the globally recognized standard for product-level carbon footprinting. It ensures that results are comparable, transparent, and credible, helping brands stand out in sustainability. 

The IPCC GWP100 method converts various greenhouse gases into a common metric—kilograms of CO₂ equivalent—based on their 100-year global warming potentials, enabling consistent comparison of different emissions over a century timescale.

Independent verification by a recognized consultancy like THG Eco & MyCarbon ensures accuracy, transparency, and credibility by auditing all data, assumptions, and calculations against rigorous international standards. Third-party assurance reassures customers that the reported carbon footprint truly reflects real-world impacts without internal bias.

Customers can integrate these verified metrics into corporate sustainability reports, science-based target frameworks (SBTi), supply chain emissions tracking, and procurement decisions to achieve transparency and compliance with evolving regulatory requirements.

By following ISO 14040/14044/14067, using IPCC GWP100, and securing independent verification, we provide fully vetted, globally comparable carbon metrics—a level of rigor and openness that positions us as industry leaders in sustainability reporting.