Having exported 10 million packs of its tofu exported to US this year, Pulmuone seeks to further achieve global eco-friendly certifications as its overseas tofu business drives growth
Pulmuone announced on Nov. 30 that its 10 tofu products have attained Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon by Carbon Trust, a UK organization for climate impact reduction.
Carbon Trust is a not-for-dividend company in UK dedicated to fighting climate change and reducing carbon emissions by certifying environmental standards for carbon, water and waste. Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon is a certification which assesses the total amount of carbon emissions during the entire manufacturing process and disposal of one’s product.
“We are delighted to congratulate Pulmuone for being the first Korean food company to have its product carbon footprint certified by the Carbon Trust. This achievement demonstrates Pulmuone’s commitment to the sustainability of its products and its support for consumers by providing information for informed purchasing decisions,” said Morgan Jones, Associate Director of Carbon Trust. “We look forward to working with Pulmuone in its continued journey to improve product sustainability, reduce environmental impact and address climate change.”
As its tofu sales in global markets post strong growth, Pulmuone is making efforts to extend eco-friendly environment certifications to its products for export. Having achieved Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon for its 10 domestic tofu products, the company is planning to include tofu products for export to its carbon-labeled lineup and attain Carbon Trust Standard for Supply Chain in 2022 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through its tofu manufacturing process.
Pulmuone has already exported more than 10 million packs of tofu to the U.S. this year. Total sales of Pulmuone tofu have been registering double-digit growth for recent years with U.S. tofu market size posting 50 percent growth year-on-year. (Nielsen USA, 2020)
The top performance of Pulmuone in environmental management is based on the relentless efforts to realize its core strategy ‘Eco-friendly.’
By adopting 3R action plans to its manufacturing and disposal procedures, Pulmuone is reducing plastic use in packing, recycling product packages and removing chemical substances from its packaging to cut its carbon footprint.
In the process of manufacturing in particular, Pulmuone is taking advantage of renewable energy. Its 9 manufacturing plants for tofu, kimchi and logistics are equipped with thermal collectors for solar power generation to reduce carbon emissions. Also, by-products of tofu, which mainly consists of bean curd residues, have been officially certified as circulation resources that contribute to environmental virtuous circle.
“With an aim to love both human and nature as a LOHAS company, Pulmuone is going beyond just making healthy food by developing eco-friendly products for the global environment,” said Eun-gi Hong, Manager for Environmental, Health & Safety. “By 2022, we will expand the use of recyclable packaging to all of our products and cut carbon emissions, energy consumption, use of water and waste generation by 35%, 24%, 50% and 60% respectively.”
Meanwhile, Pulmuone was selected Highly Outstanding ESG Company and received overall A+ rating for 4 consecutive years in 2020 Best ESG Company Awards ceremony by Korea Corporate Governance Service which assesses ratings of non-financial values by categories of environmental, social and governance. The company also received Carbon Management Special Award by Carbon Disclosure Project Korea Committee. Ranked among the top 10 global food companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 2 consecutive years in 2019, Pulmuone is globally recognized for its excellence in sustainable management.
