Perdue associates, their family members and friends across 12 states removed 54,000 pounds of trash and debris from streams, woods and roadways and planted more than 50 trees as part of the 10th annual Project Clean Stream, a company-wide effort to help protect and enhance the environment in the communities where associates live and work. Since 2008, 6,855 volunteers have removed in excess of 211 tons of trash from more than 300 sites and planted 4,118 trees.
More than 980 volunteers mobilized clean-ups at 47 local sites on Saturdays in April and May. Their bounty included such items as tires, toys, mattresses, bottles, televisions, bicycles, paper products and much more. Clean-up sites were located in California, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington.
“As part of our company’s values, we strive to be good environmental stewards,” said CEO Randy Day. “We recognize that being a leader in stewardship is not only good for the environment and our company, but it is good for the communities where our associates live and work. We’re proud of our associates’ participation and what it says about our culture and commitment to environmental stewardship.”
In Lewiston, North Carolina, more than 100 volunteers harvested 5,500 pounds of trash along the roadway near the Perdue plant. “I am so proud to work for a company that creates an environment that encourages us to give back to the community,” said Timothy Mizelle, a Perdue environmental manager. “The participation this year was outstanding from associates and family members to school groups, and we had a great time while making our community a better place to live.”
Project Clean Stream was launched in 2004 by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland as a grass-roots effort to clean up waterways and shorelines in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Perdue joined the volunteer project in 2008 with 30 volunteers at a pond located near its Salisbury, Maryland plant. In 2011, Perdue expanded the Project Clean Stream concept across the company to encourage associates to organize similar clean-up efforts in their communities.
“Project Clean Stream provides an exciting opportunity to engage associates in helping protect the environment in our communities, while reinforcing our company’s commitment to being a good corporate citizen,” said Steve Levitsky, vice president of sustainability. “The combined strength of our associates’ efforts has made a tremendous impact in those communities.”
“Project Clean Stream was created by the Alliance to provide a hands-on opportunity for people to get involved with protecting and restoring their local streams and rivers,” said Al Todd, executive Director of the Alliance. “Through Project Clean Stream, volunteers discover a deeper connection to the environment which builds a lasting commitment to environmental stewardship. People care for what they know and love. We are grateful to Perdue for their commitment to Project Clean Stream through their associates’ volunteer efforts and through the Perdue Foundation’s financial support.”
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the company’s charitable giving arm, recently renewed its years-long support of the Alliance and Project Clean Stream with a $10,000 grant.
