Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. We’ve all heard these three words before, and today, they hold even more significance. Today is
America Recycles Day, a day to highlight the importance of recycling and motivate communities to join in the conservation efforts.
There are many ways that you and your friends, coworkers and family can celebrate this day. There might be an
event in your local community, or you can
take the pledge to learn more about what materials can be recycled and act to reduce your own personal waste by recycling more. Since 2011, more than 28,400 people have taken the pledge.
Recycling isn’t always as simple as aluminum cans and cardboard. Not sure where to dispose that dead battery or old phone? Check out the
Recycling Locater to find out where you can toss your old household items.
Intel has a long history of recycling in our own operations. In 2011, we recycled over 80% of the waste in our operations and earlier this year set new 2020 goals to challenge ourselves to reduce, reuse and recycle even more. In addition to large scale recycling initiatives, we also recognize the importance of incentivizing our employees to innovate to find new ways to recycle and reuse materials from our organization. So, in celebration of America Recycles Day, Intel is recognizing an employee project that has reduced the company’s plastic waste. A team of employees on the Chandler, AZ campus are turning leftover plastic from Intel’s manufacturing facilities into pencil boxes to benefit the local education community. Starting with plastic reels that originally held yards of computer chip components (similar to a movie reel), the group collaborated with local organizations to remove the reels’ labels, grind them into small bits, and mold them into the pencil box shape.
After producing nearly 4,100 pencil boxes, volunteers from
Arizona Science Lab and
National Engineers Week filled them with school supplies, including a bookmark that describes how the pencil boxes were created, and ways for students to incorporate sustainability into their own lives. The final pencil boxes were then donated to local schools in need.
The effort is funded through
Intel’s Sustainability in Action grant program, where employees submit project ideas that foster environmental sustainability worldwide. In 2011, Intel provided $125,000 in funding for nine employee projects—including the installation of a rainwater harvesting project at a school in Israel, and design of a zero-emissions heating and cooling control and supply system for a local community building in China.
So, how are you celebrating America Recycles Day? Let us know about your efforts and innovative ideas in the comments section below.
Suzanne Fallender is Intel’s Director of Corporate Responsibility. In this role, she collaborates with key stakeholders across the company to integrate corporate responsibility concepts into company strategies, policies, public reporting, and stakeholder engagement activities to advance Intel’s corporate responsibility leadership and create positive social impact and business value. Suzanne leads a team of experienced professionals who engage with internal and external groups to review Intel’s corporate responsibility performance and to identify new opportunities to apply Intel’s technology and expertise to address social and environmental challenges. The team also works closely with Intel’s investor relations and corporate governance groups to drive an integrated outreach strategy with investors on governance and corporate responsibility issues. Suzanne has more than 20 years of experience in the field of corporate responsibility and socially responsible investment. During her time at Intel, Suzanne has held a number of corporate responsibility-related roles, including leading programs empowering girls and women through technology. Prior to Intel, Suzanne served as Vice President at Institutional Shareholder Services where she managed the firm’s socially responsible investing division. Suzanne holds an M.B.A. from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She has served on a number of leading industry advisory boards and committees on sustainability and corporate responsibility over the past decade and currently is a member of the Net Impact Board of Directors. Follow Suzanne on Twitter at @sfallender.