With a commitment to corporate responsibility serving as an expression of Graybar’s core values, the company strives to create a culture where employees feel a true sense of ownership for their results and can share in the success of the company, while also taking steps to make the world a better place. At the company’s corporate headquarters located in St. Louis, Graybar has set its sights on long-term goals that will make the company stronger and healthier for future generations, which also helped them to earn the esteemed title of Challenge Champion in the 2020 St. Louis Green Business Challenge.
During the 2020 Challenge, Graybar worked toward creating a brighter, more sustainable future for the communities in which they live and work as part of their Champion Innovation Project – Sustainability Pivots to Service. Here in St. Louis and at more than a dozen Graybar locations across the nation, company employees contributed $15,462 in cash and food donations to local food banks, which Graybar also matched with a cash donation through its recently launched “Empowering Our Communities” program. This initiative not only helps to feed those who are in need, but also helps to improve air quality by reducing that significant amount of food waste that might have otherwise gone to a landfill and generated harmful CO2 emissions.
Other noteworthy sustainability initiatives spearheaded by Graybar’s Green Team – employees from various departments that conduct research, develop sustainable recommendations and share innovative ideas with the company’s Sustainability Committee – included a Print Release program that requires users to log in to a Print Release-enabled device to print their documents. This reduces the number of documents printed in error, saving both paper and toner. Additionally, machines are defaulted to print and copy double-sided, which further reduces paper waste and benefits air quality in the region. Supply Chain Waste Walks are another way the company helps clients identify opportunities to reduce waste in their own processes and procedures, uncover recycling opportunities and improve energy efficiency.
Additionally, Graybar employees worked remotely from March through August last year, which benefitted the region’s air quality by reducing the number of cars on the roads and helped to reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gas emissions emitted from motor vehicles. Energy tracking also reported that the company’s St. Louis facilities saved an impressive $73,468.33 in electricity costs by doing so!
Looking to the future, Graybar plans to expand its focus on environmental service projects and continue the work stemming from the company-wide 150th anniversary service initiative.
The Clean Air Partnership is pleased to recognize the efforts of businesses such as Graybar that continue to take action for cleaner air by channeling their time and energy towards practicing sustainability. For additional information on how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their weekly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.
