In January Evergreen USA started a new committee to bring “green” initiatives to the forefront of its thoughts.
The committee will work to coordinate and spearhead efforts at Evergreen to make environmentally and socially responsible choices in its business practice, according to a news release. The company stated this will be done by:
- Not sacrificing the quality or cost of our products to our clients.
- Understanding that we will make positive environmental choices not only to support the base (environment) of the camping industry but because it is the right thing to do.
- Leading changes in our business practices while involving the entire workplace.
- Attempting to educate and promote employees to make more environmentally sound decisions in their daily lives.
“As a company entirely based on businesses that are very dependent upon our planet’s natural resources and environment, it is important we do all we can to preserve these resources and the environment,” said Lucas Hartford, Evergreen president. Â “And with the name ‘Evergreen’ it is our duty to be “green.”
New for 2010
At about 35 conventions per year Evergreen hands out hundreds of paper bags to attendees to put the literature and give-a-ways they receive from vendors in. Typically these bags might make it back as far as the attendees’ hotel room where they can pack the stuff in the bags to their suitcases, or maybe they make it as far as their home before they are thrown away to become part of the landfill.
To help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills and to provide our clients and prospective clients, a useful item we will be giving away — nice reusable bags made from 100% recycled material. These bags can be used for years by people to get groceries or other items at the store – saving the earth of just one more plastic bag.
Prior to this year the company:
- Participated in a waste program where it is either recycled or used for power generation.
- Used “green” lightbulbs and ballasts.
- 95% of its toner cartridges were remanufactured and/or refilled. Used cartridges were sent to vendor for recycling.
- About 20% of  sales and promotional materials were made from recycled stock.
- About 70% of its equipment is Energy Star rated.
- Recycled and reused packing materials such as paper, peanuts and bubble wrap.
- Used environmentally safe salt on the walkways.
