As a company involved in the produce of fresh fruits, we certainly identify our responsibility to ensure that our operation activities are guided by the careful balance of the interests of all our stakeholders.
We have made steady progress to move towards sustainable practices in order to contribute to better incomes and livelihoods for our workers and their families. It also helps to maintain soil fertility, enhance water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect biodiversity.
Therefore, BanaBay has promoted environmental and social policies as well as several programs intended to protect and maintain the environment, and support the well being of our employees and the communities that surround us.
Our ecological and employee programs are frequently audited by internal and external auditors against internationally accepted environmental standards.
We constantly create strategies for reducing waste through better design, improved recovery and re-use, more efficient resource management, and the performance of materials recovered from wastes. Our company implements various environmentally-sound, economically viable and socially acceptable management practices aimed to preserve and efficiently use our natural resources.
By effectively using the water, air, soil, and fuel resources, we are able to obtain a stability between environmental, economic and community sustainability. The management of these resources in an environmentally-responsible way is decisive in ensuring continued long term production while keeping environmental and human health. We fulfil several internationally recognized environmental standards as well as the national regulations of Ecuador.
Our plantations apply various water quality management programs in line with local regulations and needs. Preventive measures such as proper disposal of solid and liquid wastes, buffer zones are created to protect waterways in areas adjacent to bodies of water and effective wastewater treatment facilities are continuously being implemented.
We strive to use water efficiently, several operational practices are implemented to conserve and reduce the use of water where hydrometers are used to Monitor Water Usage. In addition, water quality and physico-chemical content monitoring tests are conducted by trained staff in our plantations on a regular basis and the results of these water tests help us evaluate the condition of our local water resources and immediately take corrective actions if necessary.
Overview
Our company has established many projects that contribute to the protection of biodiversity which we recognize as an essential component of responsible environmental and natural resource management.
Flora
BanaBay is committed to the implementation of environmental programs that protect and manage the natural ecosystem. We strive to maintain and conserve native plant species and forest areas. Our operations carry out several reforestation programs to expand the natural ecosystem. We work with organizations such as local schools, community, government and non-governmental groups on environmental projects such as reforestation programs. We make sure that our plantations and facilities are not located in protected areas such as forest reserves, conservation and rainforest areas. We minimize environmental impacts by providing mitigating measures to protect the ecosystem. Where possible, our production farms have buffer zones which protect the adjacent natural ecosystem.
Fauna
Our company supports wildlife protection. We believe that by protecting and enhancing the natural ecosystem in the areas where we operate, we protect its habitat and food source. We do not hunt nor place in captivity any endangered or wild species. We believe that the existence of wildlife in the areas where we operate is a biological indicator that we have a healthy ecosystem. In many of our farms and surrounding areas, local species of insects, reptiles, birds and mammals are often observed.
BanaBay employs recycling to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air and water pollution, by reducing the need for “conventional” waste disposal.
Several recycling programs in our facilities worldwide enable us to reuse and recycle waste materials whenever possible.
Our employees play an important part in contributing to these efforts and participate in recycling programs such as helping to create animal feed from organic farm wastes, Recycling of Plastic Wastes, reusing banana ribbons, Recycling of Corrugated Packaging, Composting of Organic Production Wastes, as well as paper recycling in most of our offices worldwide.
BanaBay follows strict waste disposal guidelines and ensures that wastes are disposed of in accordance with national and local regulations.
Where possible, wastes are collected, segregated and properly stored in designated areas where they are processed for recycling or disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
