Mountain Rose Herbs opened a new milling facility in West Eugene. KLCC’s Alec Cowan reports on how the unique addition is a big step for sustainability.

In a typical week, Mountain Rose’s new mill can go through 550 different herbs. Prior to two weeks ago many of those products would go to California to be processed. But with their new facility located close to receiving and farming operations, Mountain Rose expects to keep up to 200,000 lbs. of Carbon Dioxide from going into the atmosphere.

Vice President Shawn Donnille says the mill is the first of its kind in the Willamette Valley and one of five similar mills nationwide:

"This is a very specialized mill. Our industry is quite large, not too many people realize this, but all food is flavored with herbs and spices, all beer is usually brewed with herbs and spices, all tea obviously comes from herbs and spices, but there’s very little infrastructure in the nation to help protect and defend that supply for all those products that we enjoy."

Mountain Rose Herbs was the first zero waste certified company in Oregon.