[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 164 (Monday, October 31, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S6915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    ZERO LANDFILL WASTE CELEBRATION

 Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, it is with the greatest pleasure 
that today I recognize the achievements of the McKee Foods Corporation 
plant in Gentry, AR. This plant reached the milestone of having zero 
landfill waste, a first for a McKee Foods production facility.
  In 1934, under the shadow of the Great Depression, the late O.D. and 
Ruth McKee converted a cookie shop into a 5-cent bakery in Chattanooga, 
TN. With O.D.'s aptitude for sales and Ruth's management abilities, the 
duo took their small mom-and-pop bakery and expanded into what is now 
known as McKee Foods Corporation. The expansion into Gentry came in 
1982 when the company needed a larger facility to serve the western 
United States and Mexico. Among other things, the Gentry plant produces 
a variety of ``Little Debbie'' snack cakes, a favorite treat among my 
family and staff.
  It was 2 years ago that the Gentry plant management team challenged 
themselves and the more than 1,500 Gentry employees to reach a goal of 
zero landfill waste. Although seen as challenging, the entire plant 
knew this was achievable. Many recycling efforts were already under 
way, and the plant partnered with several local recycling companies to 
put processes in place to bring their landfill waste down to zero. For 
the Gentry plant, there will be no going back to the landfill.
  With responsibility as a guiding value, McKee Foods has been and will 
continue to be a strong advocate for environmentally conscious business 
practices. On average, McKee Foods recycles 3,750 tons of cardboard, 
10,000 gallons of used petroleum oil, over 100,000 wooden pallets, and 
200 tons of scrap steel and other metals. While the Gentry plant is 
setting the bar high for other McKee facilities, the entire McKee Foods 
Corporation is to be commended for its environmental stewardship.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating the McKee 
Foods Corporation's Gentry plant on attaining zero landfill waste. As 
the company motto adopted by O.D. McKee makes clear, McKee Foods is 
committed to ``finding a better way'' of doing business, and the Gentry 
plant is leading the way. I am proud of all they have accomplished and 
look forward to their future successes.

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