{"id":51,"date":"2015-11-23T14:38:36","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T14:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projectgreenlancaster.millersville.edu\/?p=51"},"modified":"2020-03-20T02:50:24","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T02:50:24","slug":"convenient-store-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectgreenlancaster.millersville.edu\/index.php\/2015\/11\/23\/convenient-store-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Convenient Store Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"2015-11-04

Attraction at Turkey Hill Experience- photo credit: Stephanie Torres<\/p><\/div>\n

If you have been in the Lancaster area, you have most likely been to a Turkey Hill market. No matter where you are, there is always one around, some within a mile radius of one another (it is unavoidable). But despite there being so many Turkey Hill’s, the franchise is working EXTREMELY hard to make a difference and to go green. There is this thing called “sustainability<\/span>” and it’s taking over! Everyone is trying to go green and to support sustainability, and Turkey Hill is one of them.<\/p>\n

What is Turkey Hill?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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First Turkey Hill delivery truck at Turkey Hill Experience- photo credit: Stephanie Torres<\/p><\/div>\n

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As I said, Turkey Hill Markets is a Lancaster County based convenience store. Turkey Hill\u2019s headquarters is right over in Manor Township.<\/p>\n

Fun fact: the Native Americans called \u201cSusquehannocks\u201d, were the first to inhabit the area. Actually, they were the ones to give \u201cTurkey Hill\u201d its name because it was an abundant hunting ground for turkeys. ( I know– so interesting!)<\/p>\n

During the Great Depression, Armor Frey gathered a few bottles of milk and sold each bottle to his neighbors and as time went on, his sales grew and it eventually became his primary business. Then in 1947, Glenn, Charles, and Emerson Frey bought their father\u2019s business. The brother’s goal was to provide quality products and excellent service (I think everyone can agree: they succeeded).<\/p>\n

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Attraction at Turkey Hill Experience- photo credit: Stephanie Torres<\/p><\/div>\n

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The first store was opened in 1967 in Lancaster and in 1980 the Frey brothers expanded their businesses to ice cream production. Eventually, Turkey Hill ice cream became a favorite in local Lancaster County stores. In 1981, the franchise moved to the Philadelphia area and there are now over 270 stores all over the state. All stores offer a variety of extra services, like ATMs, state lottery gaming, gasoline, and quick shopping. In Columbia, Pa there is actually an attraction called the \u201cTurkey Hill Experience\u201d, where you can have the experience of <\/span>going through different exhibits that explain dairy culture, the story of Turkey Hill Dairy, and how the company’s ice cream and iced tea flavors are selected and created.<\/span><\/p>\n

So…What is Turkey Hill doing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Attraction at Turkey Hill Experience- photo credit: Stephanie Torres<\/p><\/div>\n

Turkey Hill is actively putting many green initiatives into effect in order to drive out waste, reduce packaging, and reduce outputs to the environment. The Frey family has been on the Turkey Hill farm since 1817 and wants to continue to ensure that future generations can enjoy Lancaster County. The family has decided to take a few steps to make this county a better place for residents and visitors. To do this, Turkey Hill has started using energy efficient lighting, landfill gasoline, recycling, reducing plastic usage, backhauling and many more sustainable tactics. President of the company, Quentin Frey, wants to continue to be a positive impact on the environment. Actually, he recently enabled nearly 15 new initiatives of going green.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I See… But How Are They Doing It?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Attraction at Turkey Hill Experience- photo credit: Stephanie Torres<\/p><\/div>\n

One way Turkey Hill supports sustainability is through food products. Despite everything being made locally, the company has found ways to reduce their ice cream waste, by i<\/span>nvesting in systems to capture and safely reclaim waste from production. Since then, there has been a one-third reduction of ice cream mix waste. This has eliminated the use of additional commodities to replace the waste & the transportation of heavy liquid to a disposal location.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turkey Hill does many things to support sustainability, outside of their food products. The company has reduced their plastic fruit pails <\/span>from a plastic 30 lb. pail to a reusable 2500 lb. tote system, which they backhaul from their facility when ingredients are delivered. Turkey Hill is now utilizing 45,000 fewer pails (135,000 pounds of plastic) per year.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Attraction at Turkey Hill Experience- photo credit: Stephanie Torres<\/p><\/div>\n

The company has also switched to paper ice cream lids, which sa<\/span>ves about 210,000 pounds of plastic per year. They continue to use these paper lids, even though they could save money by using the plastic rims. Their <\/span>paper ice cream cartons now weigh approximately 5.5% less t<\/span>han the previous cartons, which has reduced annual paperboard requirements by 200,000 pounds. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"2015-11-06

New half gallon milk containers- photo credit: Alexa Honick<\/p><\/div>\n

They recently redesigned the half-gallon containers that now allows them to fill the handle of the container. This new container has 22 grams less of HDPE resin than the previous container. <\/span><\/p>\n

Turkey Hill has recently installed Wind turbines, which provides energy diversification, and has reduced electrical costs. The output from the turbines is delivered right to Turkey Hill for use in its manufacturing facility. These turbines have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 5,900 tons per year. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gotcha…Is That It?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You would think that’s it… but you’d be wrong. Turkey Hill also has an active recycling program. Their major waste streams include cardboard, HDPE and LDPE plastics<\/span>, ferrous and nonferrous metals<\/span>, paper products, and food-grade waste. In the past three years Turkey Hill has recycled the following volumes of major items:
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