Perdue associates, their family members and friends across eight states removed 47,400 pounds of trash and debris from streams, woods and roadways as part of the 11th 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, 7,489 volunteers have removed in excess of 235 tons of trash from more than 300 sites and planted more than 4,000 trees.
More than 630 volunteers mobilized clean-ups at 25 local sites in April and May. Their bounty included such items as tires, toys, mattresses, bottles, televisions, bicycles, paper products and much more.
“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.”
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 our plant in Salisbury, Md. 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 be a good corporate citizen,” said Steve Levitsky, vice president of sustainability for Perdue Farms. “The combined strength of our associates’ efforts has made a tremendous impact in those communities.”
“The Alliance is excited to partner with Perdue through Project Clean Stream to clean up the Chesapeake’s rivers and streams,” said Kate Fritz, executive director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. “It is imperative for businesses throughout the watershed, from New York to Virginia, to continue to make a commitment to clean water in order to restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”
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 $20,000 grant.
