Clorox Sites Celebrate Earth Month
By David Creamer
Earth Month 2017 is over, but we’re not done with our celebration of sustainability.
This year, 14 Clorox sites and more than 800 employees worldwide rallied around the theme, “Journey to Zero Waste.”
As a company, we have a 2020 footprint reduction goal of certifying 10 sites as zero-waste-to-landfill. So far, two sites — Fairfield, California, and Orangeville, Canada — have achieved this recognition. That means we have two years left in this goal period to certify eight additional Clorox sites.
The Earth Month challenge theme helped build momentum as we work toward our 2020 goal.
Here are some highlights of events that showcase the creative ways our sites engaged people on waste minimization.
Amherst, Virginia
The Amherst Glad plant put the “challenge” in Earth Day Challenge.
March Madness gave way to Waste Minimization Madness, this site’s basketball-themed event. Employees took shots to place their waste into the correct container. In addition, Amherst also shared educational information about waste minimization and the progress the site has made. It currently diverts 98 percent of its waste away from landfill and hopes to be one of the next sites to reach zero-waste-to-landfill designation. With all of Amherst’s work promoting sustainability at the site, getting to zero waste should be a slam dunk.
The Amherst, Virginia, plant created a basketball recycling game for its month-long “Waste Minimization Madness”
Bogota, Colombia
The Bogota plant got truly creative this Earth Month and turned waste into art. Employee teams were challenged to create sculptures using only recyclable materials. The creativity and artistry were impressive.
Clorox employees in Bogota, Colombia, admire a sculpture made of recycled materials to celebrate Earth Month.
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Brita is one of our most sustainable brands. The team at the Brampton plant engaged employees with an educational Earth Day session focused on sustainability and recycling. The site continues to work to decrease its environmental footprint and divert waste away from landfill. In addition, all employees received white spruce trees to plant at home.
The Brita plant in Brampton, Ontario, held an education session and also gave each employee a spruce tree to plant.
Houston, Texas
The Houston plant hosted a carpool week and encouraged employees to ride to work together. They tallied the miles and gas saved and realized they saved 90 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
Kennesaw, Georgia
Recycling can be confusing. What’s recyclable and what’s not? Plus, what’s recyclable at one site may not be recyclable in another.
Kennesaw wanted to make its recycling rules visible at-a-glance. The team created 3-D recycling displays for their waste and recycling stations, showing people what goes into each container. In addition, eco-team members rolled up their sleeves and played in the dirt, sprucing up the pollinator garden with fresh mulch for spring and adding water fountains.
The Kennesaw team created 3-D recycling displays with used materials
Summer Shade, Kentucky
The Summer Shade Kingsford plant knows that sustainability isn’t just for the workplace. Being sustainable at work and home benefits the environment and can help those in need. The plant set up a recycling and reuse station for employees to bring items from home to be recycled or donated. Employees could bring in clothes as well as home electronics and batteries to be disposed of in a sustainable way.
Willowbrook, Illinois
The R&D office at Willowbrook wants to be sure it helps keep our Clorox sites beautiful while supporting Keep America Beautiful. The eco-team hosted an indoor planting event for Earth Month. The plan is to grow plants that will eventually be placed in larger containers to beautify the office space inside and out. A follow-up event is planned for May to clean up a local park.
New plantings grow indoors until they’re strong enough to replant outside in Willowbrook
Other sites which held events include Forest Park, Georgia; Rogers, Arkansas; Biscayne, Canada; Fairfield, California; Springfield, Illinois; Aberdeen, Maryland and Mexico City, Mexico.
Thanks to all the sites who participated in this year’s Earth Month Challenge and for continuing to support sustainable growth at Clorox.