The Powers & Sons Indianapolis Sustainability Committee, led by Senior Project Manager Randy Swinford, is educating team members about environmental challenges and solutions, ways to be more eco-friendly on the job and at home, and sustainability trends in the construction industry.
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Over the past 12 months, the group (which includes Senior Project Engineers Kayden Rivers and Matt Robinson and Director of Communication & Marketing Susan Sullivan) toured a local consumer recycling operation.
They launched a virtual “Lunch & Learn” series about sustainability and environmental awareness, with one presentation given to date.
The committee also planned a fun Arbor Day event in April to benefit Indy Parks & Recreation. About 20 employees served on the Indianapolis “Green Team.” Together, they:
- Removed enough trash, tree limbs, and debris to fill a 30-yard dumpster.
- Weeded and refreshed the playground, spreading mulch donated by Powers & Sons.
- Painted picnic tables, pruned trees and removed suckers, and culled invasive plant species.
Amy Anderson, senior manager of community partnerships for Indy Parks & Recreation, noted the team was “one of the hardest working volunteer groups I’ve ever worked with” and it “far exceeded what I thought we could get done in three hours.”
Similar to many communities around the nation, maintenance and upkeep funds for the city’s 213 parks and 11,000+ miles of green space are stretched thin. Swinford is working with Anderson to plan a similar fall event.
What else does the group have planned?
Next month, they will tour a local recycling operation at CW Recycling, one of the largest construction and demolition waste recyclers in Indiana.
- They will learn how high-volume construction waste can be diverted from incinerators and landfills.
- They will also learn about the market for recycled construction materials.
- An overview on what the committee discovers will be a future “Lunch & Learn” presentation.
Swinford expects the committee to explore other trends in sustainable construction practices in the months ahead.