David Cabrera’s team at Edwards Garments in Kalamazoo always wants to do their part in reducing their environmental footprint, similar to our teams at Meijer.
“Our Sustainability Committee has been searching for solutions to all of the waste generated in our building,” the Senior Director of Supply Chain for the uniform and workplace apparel company said. “But we really didn’t have a lot of options when it came to plastic.”
David said the amount the company generated daily was relatively small and made working with a regional recycling service difficult. But thanks to a unique pilot program developed by the teams at our Lansing Distribution Facility and Oshtemo Township store, the 150-year-old Kalamazoo company is on a greener path.
Instead of throwing them away with trash, their teams now utilize our stores’ plastic recycling program to process their otherwise landfill-bound plastic. They make a three-mile drive a couple times a week to drop off their recycling with our team.
“This is a great example of how we are always looking for ways to collaborate with local partners to make a difference in the communities we serve,” said Mike Gray, Manager of Distribution Services for Meijer. “Our Oshtemo Township store has really stepped up to help drive positive results for this unique pilot program, increasing waste diversion activities locally without disrupting other daily tasks.”
Every year, we keep more than 200,000 tons of material from the landfill through our recycling program, and while the additional contributions from Edwards Garments may not be a huge portion of that total, they make an important difference.
“The team at our local Meijer store has truly been a good neighbor,” David said. “With their continued support, we estimate more than 10 tons of plastic will be recycled annually. That sort of impact to our environmental footprint would not have been possible without such a perfect collaboration!”
We’re pleased to help a fellow local business meet our mutual sustainability goals.