MOON VALLEY NURSERIES PLANTS NEW CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMS IN 2022 ESG PLANNING

Industry Disrupting Plant and Tree Nursery Releases Inaugural 2021 ESG Report and Communicates New Corporate Social Responsibility Goals

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moon Valley Nurseries, the Southwest's premier plant and tree nursery, published its inaugural Environmental, Social and Governance Report (ESG) for 2021 today. In the report, Moon Valley Nurseries expands on its current employee support programs, community relations strategies, sustainability programs and business operations summaries from 2021 and shares its plans to improve corporate social responsibility-related programs.

Moon Valley formed an ESG strategy in 2021 by creating a cross-functional team of department representatives and executive leadership to guide and maintain its commitment to positive corporate social responsibility. The ESG team concluded prioritizing people and communities, cultivating sustainable operations and conducting business responsibly were the keys to building out a strong ESG plan, and the team has set future goals to ensure Moon Valley Nurseries is always enhancing its employee, community and environmental programs.

Because employee health and safety are a top priority for Moon Valley Nurseries, the ESG team will conduct a 360-degree review of employee safety programs and certifications. In addition, the team will implement a quarterly employee training program, an employee-wellness program and a review of the talent acquisition process.

Water consumption rates are critical for cultivating a positive sustainable operation for the environment. Throughout 2021, Moon Valley implemented automatic watering systems to reduce water usage, minimized water runoff through catching basins and educated customers and employees about water-saving tips. The ESG team will quantify water consumption rates by installing sub-meters to 50% of all points of connection at all active sites by the end of 2022 and 100% of all active sites by the end of 2023.  

Moon Valley Nurseries has addressed sustainability in 2021 by installing its first on-site solar array in Escondido, California, a feature that now powers 50% of that site's operations. Additionally, all retail locations have been equipped with electric golf carts, and new delivery trucks were purchased, approximately 36% of the fleet, that feature engines that automatically shut off after five minutes of idle time.

As carbon emissions have become a more critical talking point, Moon Valley Nurseries has calculated its carbon emissions output and identified strategies to reduce its carbon footprint. During 2021, 80% of Moon Valley Nurseries trees sold were grown on company farms, and all Moon Valley Nurseries trees sequestered 197,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, almost 18 times the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by nursery operations. The ESG team will continue monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and identifying strategies to further reduce the carbon footprint in addition to phasing out 2-cycle gas-powered equipment for electric alternatives.    

Waste minimization and recycling strategies have been incorporated into various company programs to ensure nursery operations are as sustainable as possible. This is achieved through recycling 100% of tree boxes in California, converting green waste and plant trimmings to mulch and reusing over 90% of plastic pots to plant new seedlings. The Moon Valley Nurseries ESG team will continue to measure the tonnage of waste saved from landfills by company recycling programs and explore additional ways to expand the wood box recycling initiative beyond California.

"Our new ESG team has done a wonderful job examining our corporate social responsibilities and building out attainable metrics to enhance our employee and environmental programs," said Brian Flood, CEO of Moon Valley Nurseries. "We've always put value in our people, community and environment, and we are proud to begin monitoring these programs yearly to improve and address any gaps we see in our employee, community and environment-conscious programs."

For more information about Moon Valley Nurseries, please visit moonvalleynurseries.com. To read the full 2021 ESG report, please click here.

Founded in Arizona in 1995, Moon Valley Nurseries is the largest box tree grower in the United States, now operating 19 farms and over 40 retail locations across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas, with more than 2,100 acres of nursery property. While leading the industry in professional landscape design, expert planting services, and cutting-edge nutrients and fertilizers, Moon Valley Nurseries is home to the world's best trees and plants. For more information, visit www.moonvalleynurseries.com.

SOURCE Moon Valley Nurseries