Our Commitment to Sustainability
At Instinct, we're not just passionate about pets; we're equally dedicated to the planet they (and we!) call home.
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Instinct Pet Food Leading Raw Pet Food Industry in Sustainability
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (August 16, 2022) – Instinct® Pet Food is focused on a sustainable future with construction of a brand-new, state-of the art, raw pet food production facility, the Center of Excellence. The build out of the new production facility is in response to the explosive growth of raw pet food. Planned at a $200 million investment, the Center of Excellence is designed to be LEED certified, bringing leading sustainability practices into the facility. The project is underway and will be completed in two phases with the first $100 million phase completed by the end of 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
“The new Center of Excellence will bring all of our raw manufacturing and raw processing in house and will be unparalleled in the industry for food quality, safety standards, and sustainability. Our plans should result in one of the highest levels of LEED certification for manufacturing facilities,” said Bobby Harris, Chief Operating Officer. “Our goal is to have a net zero carbon footprint with this building.”
Instinct is a premium, natural pet food brand that produces raw food for dogs and cats in convenient, safe, and easy to feed meals and toppers. These products are made with raw meat, fruits, and vegetables that are minimally processed and never cooked, keeping more nutrients intact than conventional pet foods.
“This is a major step in building out a sustainable future for our pets, people and planet. One of our biggest impacts we can make is through our manufacturing facilities.”
Dumesich continues, “We are committed to making a difference and making big step changes – from manufacturing, to packaging, to sourcing.”
The more than 200,000 sq. ft. Center of Excellence will be built in two phases with all construction expected to be completed in 2025/2026. The facility will streamline all production by bringing all aspects of raw manufacturing under one roof. The first, $100 million phase of construction is a build out of the freeze-dried facility to meet the growing demand. Phase two construction will include frozen ingredient storage, grind, mix, and blend operations, as well as bringing High Pressure Processing (HPP) in house; a specialized safety step to ensure Instinct raw diets are pathogen-free.
Currently, production in Lincoln is done in four different locations throughout the city. Once complete, the first-class facility will more than double the total volume output, while eliminating 47 miles of inter-city travel, 20 touchpoints and 25 days now required in the processing and manufacturing cycle.
The expansion is expected to be one of the few LEED Certified pet food manufacturing facilities in the United States, along with the excellent Safe Quality Food (SQF) certification Instinct already holds. Additionally, this state-of-the-art facility will increase the company’s employment in Lincoln.
“We are thankful to the City of Lincoln and Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird for their willingness to help us build this sustainable and groundbreaking facility.”
As part of their sustainability mission, Instinct is a member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) and has committed to making all packaging recyclable by 2025. Through this partnership with PSC, Instinct is evaluating company practices and accelerating progress in supply chain, consumption & production improvements, employee wellness initiatives and our overall environmental and social impact.
