Supply Chain Audit Program
TRT's supply chain is primarily comprised of partners within North America and Southeast Asia but often also including suppliers within the European Union and South America. The majority of our raw materials originate in fields of Asia and the Pacific Islands and travel over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to our manufacturing operations located in the North East US. Our end products then ship via land or sea to customers throughout the US and often exported to other countries. TRT will only with suppliers that both we and our customers can trust to perform in a quality, safe, social and environmental sound and humane manner.
At TRT, we are constantly working to expand and improve our efforts in ensuring our suppliers are likewise working to expand and improve their environmental, health, safety, social and economic standards. We have been encouraging all of our supplier to join the Ecovadis network so we can better monitor their performance after being assessed by the most trusted rating agency in the world. Beyond Ecovadis, we searched other platforms such as the Sedex / SMETA and CDP systems to gauge their level of activity and commitment to ESG issues. These efforts will continue and become more pointed as we move forward.
Responsible Sourcing
TRT's commitment to responsible sourcing is evident in its proactive approach to addressing the environmental and social impacts associated with its products. By transitioning to a vegetable-based platform and focusing on raw materials such as coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and soybean oil, TRT is aligning its operations with sustainability goals. Certifications under the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) demonstrate TRT's dedication to ensuring that its palm oil products are sourced from suppliers who adhere to responsible practices. Additionally, the implementation of a Supplier Code of Conduct further underscores TRT's commitment to ethical sourcing throughout its supply chain. By requiring supply chain members to meet or exceed RSPO standards, TRT is actively promoting sustainability across its entire network. Moreover, TRT's efforts to offer responsibly sourced products, such as Responsibly Sourced Palm Mass Balanced and coconut products, highlight its commitment to providing environmentally and socially responsible options to customers. The shift from tallow as a raw material can be clearly seen when one examines the product carbon footprints and life cycle analysis conducted in 2023 and 2024.
- Refined Palm Oil (RPO)
- Canola Oil
- Mass Balance Refined Palm Oil
- Palm Fatty Acid
- Purch Prod
- Glycerin
- Refined Palm Kernel Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Refined Palm Stearin (RPS)
Coupled with the growing consumer demand for sustainable alternatives, the move to all-vegetable oils platform was advantageous. The institution of a Supplier Code of Conduct and the expansion of a Supplier ESG auditing /survey program further demonstrate TRT's commitment to promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns throughout its supply chain. By holding suppliers accountable for their ESG performance, TRT is fostering a culture of responsibility and sustainability among its partners. Overall, TRT's efforts in responsible sourcing exemplify its dedication to ethical business practices and environmental stewardship. By integrating sustainability into its operations and supply chain management, TRT is positioned as a leader in promoting responsible sourcing within the industry.
Economic Sustainability
TRT's emphasis on economic performance through fostering a safe, inclusive workplace and promoting principles such as Decent Work, Innovation, Reducing Inequalities, and Responsible Production reflects a commitment to both business success and societal well-being. By prioritizing employee well-being and fostering a supportive work environment, TRT not only enhances productivity but also promotes social responsibility and equity.
TRT also relies on its workforce to identify opportunities for improvement and execute the most effective projects through the profit improvement program or PIP. The PIP program has been active since 2018 and helped to make the entire business more efficient and profitable. Focus on asset utilization, energy, purchasing practices, freight are all worked on but savings in production materials made up almost 70% of the 2023 gains.
Efforts through the PIP help to maintain and expand the comprehensive employee benefits package offered by TRT, including fitness/health services reimbursement, training, education, health, and personal time off, underscores the company's commitment to supporting its employees' holistic well-being and professional development. These benefits not only attract and retain talent but also contribute to employee satisfaction and engagement.
In 2023, TRT realized opportunities:
- Leasing underutilized space;
- Optimizing utilities for Demand Response performance;
- Optimizing production for Materials Processing; and
- Reducing costs in purchasing, freight and expenses.
Overall, TRT's holistic approach to economic performance encompasses not only financial success but also social responsibility and environmental sustainability. By prioritizing the well-being of its employees, promoting inclusivity and diversity, and adhering to ethical and sustainable business practices, TRT sets a positive example for corporate responsibility in its industry.
Ecovadis: 2023 CSR Assessment
In 2023 TRT maintained its Ecovadis score of 63 and has been consistent over the recent years at that performance level. That score resulted in TRT being in the top 80% of all industry that Ecovadis assesses. That's over 140,000 companies! But scoring and consistency doesn't mean that we did the same as far as our rating goes. This year we were given a bronze medallion for our substantial efforts, efforts that included the completion of the product carbon foot printing and life cycle analysis program and the design and implementation of TRT Strategic Emissions Reduction Plan to meet Net Zero goals by 2050. The simple fact is that TRT was an early adopter of sustainability practices and was rated high in a smaller field of competition.
The industry around the world has recognized the importance of sustainability in business and the field is frankly catching up to us.
Game on!
TRT strives to be a leader in the sustainability space and are looking at new and innovative ways to broaden and strengthen a program that has been thriving since 2015. We look forward to the challenge of being more effective in our mission to be a leader in industry and in our communities near and throughout our supply chain.
Non-Conformance Reporting
TRT maintains a rigorous Non-Conformance Report (NCR) process that is activated when there is a non-fulfillment or failure to meet each customer requirement and to protect consumers health and safety. If an issue is discovered, a risk analysis process is utilized and includes:
- Short Term Corrective Actions: (Considering all actions to prevent customer impact and prevent recurrence)
- True Root Cause: (Conditions or actions that caused the problem/defect/non-conformity)
- Long Term Corrective Actions: (Long-term solution plan based on root cause analysis) approach is to create effective corrective / preventive actions that minimize or eliminate recurrence of nonconformities or potential safety concerns.
Since 2016, when this metric was first tracked, TRT has had zero events that resulted in risk to consumer health and safety. The reason this number is zero is because we employee a highly effective auditing and training program that supports our certified Safe Quality Food (SQF) program.
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