Since 1904, Shapiro Metals has been providing advanced scrap metal recycling services to the greater St. Louis region. With a dedication to sustainability and efficiency, the company creates customized recycling programs for manufacturing partners across a broad range of industries, in addition to trading materials with consumers across the globe and providing programs with a pathway to sustainability and circularity. This month, the Clean Air Partnership is delighted to shine a spotlight on Green Business Challenge Leader Shapiro Metals for its new approach to industrial recycling and sustainability solutions for manufacturers that is creating a better, greener tomorrow for area businesses and the planet.
As a participant in the 2023 St. Louis Green Business Challenge at the Leader Level, Shapiro Metals initiated a “Green Team” among 11 of the company’s plants to create awareness and excitement around recycling. The teams were able to collect nearly 15,000 pounds of paper and cardboard in just three months as part of the very first challenge they took on. In the end, the plant that collected the most pounds per team member was able to receive $500 per person. Additionally, across all Shapiro Metals plants, the company performed a “Safety & Sustainability Stand Down” training to introduce employees to the importance of what it means to be sustainable as a business and at home. As part of the training, an overview of basic elements included the environmental impacts of their day-to-day decisions, including what they eat, what they drive, and how they dispose of waste.
Among the other eco-friendly innovations that helped earn Shapiro Metals recognition in the Challenge was the purchase of a wood shredder at the company’s Springfield, Missouri location to reduce hazardous landfill waste. Since then, the Springfield facility has seen a 40% reduction of its waste by simply shredding the material of unusable pallets so it can be repurposed rather than sent to the landfill, which also benefits air quality by eliminating gases released into the atmosphere as waste decomposes.
Moreover, Shapiro Metals participated in a “Pollution Prevention” training hosted by the Green Business Challenge with Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute, which included an assessment of its manufacturing facility efficiencies and associated possible cost savings for added sustainability.
“The Challenge enabled us to reaffirm our company’s purpose: Making the Planet Better, Together,” said Emily Patterson, Chief of Staff for Shapiro Metals.
For more information on Shapiro Metals and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. For more on the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @gatewaycleanair.