Business PickupQuantum doesn’t just provide services that help their customers find environmentally-friendly solutions for their electronics; we also make it a priority to incorporate sustainable practices into everything we do. In celebration of Earth Day 2023, we hosted an Earth Week Challenge across our facilities from April 17 – 21.
While all sites were encouraged to participate in a waste pickup challenge last year, this year each site had the option to choose their own activities. The prize was a free lunch for the site, with the winner being chosen based on their impact to the planet and community, as well as participation at their site and company voting. Here’s a look into what our sites came up with.
Hamilton
At our Hamilton site, several employees volunteered at a local community garden to help prepare beds and plant peas. They also constructed a container garden at the warehouse made from a repurposed crate.
Vancouver & Barrie
At our Vancouver and Barrie facilities, more than a dozen employees participated in pop can collection and garbage pickup within the local area. The Barrie team removed a staggering amount of trash — more than 700 pounds of garbage! They also recovered 68 pounds of batteries and 298 pounds of e-waste.
Toronto
With nearly 100 participants, our Toronto team had plenty of manpower to make a major impact this Earth Day. This facility got creative and split Earth Week into several events.
On Monday, they kicked off the week with an awareness email. On Tuesday, the facility hosted students from a local school for a presentation about our recycling process. On Wednesday, employees created a butterfly garden and assembled bird feeders from recycled warehouse materials. By the end of the week, employees had pledged their commitments to investing in the planet and established a reuse library for book swapping among employees. While not part of the challenge, the facility also collected a whopping 22,000 pounds of metal waste the previous week.
Brampton
Like Barrie, our Brampton facility also participated in various activities throughout the week. They collected 350 pounds of e-waste in a collection bin, performed a yard cleanup of more than 150 pounds of waste, had a meatless lunch on Thursday, hosted a plant swap, and gave a recycling awareness presentation for employees.
Edmonton
Edmonton also had dozens of employees participating in multiple Earth Week activities. More than 30 employees took part in a carpooling challenge, while 24 workers participated in Meatless Monday and ate vegan or vegetarian for the day. On Tuesday, tree planting seeds were distributed for staff to plant at a location and time of their choice. Wednesday was reserved for educational programs, while employees took part in a lights- and electronics-free break to conserve energy on Thursday. All employees participated in a waste pickup on Friday.
Costa Rica
At the Costa Rica facility, employees planted trees on the company’s premises and sat through presentations on various topics on eco-friendly practices, including sustainable space exploration and beekeeping. They also learned about sustainable tourism, including virtual visits that enable exploration of various destinations without impacting the environment.
And the winner was…
After Earth Week, Quantum’s Green Team evaluated the sites and selected Costa Rica, Edmonton and Toronto as the top three. All employees could then vote for a winner of the Earth Week Challenge. Edmonton received the most votes, winning the free lunch.
As you can see, Quantum is passionate about sustainability and earth-friendly activities. Find out how we can help your company reduce its carbon footprint and support ESG initiatives with our recycling solutions.