Glen Raven continues progress toward 100% renewable energy | Home Accents Today

BURLINGTON, N.C. – Textile producer Glen Raven Inc. has made progress in its corporate sustainability efforts over the previous yr, together with attaining a 25% use of renewable electrical energy and a 50% enhance in its use of recycled merchandise.

“Our company sustainability report displays what we’ve been doing by means of historical past, and it’s our alternative to essentially articulate what Glen Raven has stood for over time,” stated Leib Oehmig, CEO of Glen Raven Inc. “We need to be clear each internally and externally and maintain ourselves accountable. We need to be certain that each our prospects and the bigger group are conscious of what we’re doing.”

Since final yr’s preliminary report, the corporate has additionally attained a 33% lower in Scope 1 and a couple of internet carbon emissions between 2019 to 2021,  recycled 108,309 kilos of cloth in partnership with prospects and elevated its waste diversion from the landfill charge to 97%.

“We really feel prefer it’s an achievable purpose to turn into 100% powered by licensed renewable electrical energy by 2025,” Oehmig stated. “25% of our power use at the moment is from renewable sources. We’re studying each day, working with energy suppliers. We personal two of the most important privately held photo voltaic installations in North and South Carolina, and we persistently push ourselves to do extra.”

The idea across the firm’s Recycle My Sunbrella program goes again a decade with the corporate’s concentrate on motivating customers to return cloth so the corporate might recycle it into reusable fiber that has the look, really feel and texture that buyers count on from Glen Raven.

“We went by means of a lull in that program by way of curiosity,” he stated. “However we’ve seen a renewed power in this system over the previous a number of years. It took us a short while to recycle 1 million kilos, however we consider we’ll get to that subsequent million far more shortly.”

The corporate additionally has made progress in its objectives to help its folks and communities by establishing a Range, Fairness and Inclusion staff to steer the corporate; creating six new positions to assist foster affiliate development and inclusivity; attaining security charges that have been 50% higher than the most recent OSHA benchmarks; and finishing 2,193 hours of volunteer work by way of the corporate’s associates.

One of many areas that’s been essential to Glen Raven for generations has been early childhood schooling, each on the native degree and in a broader method.

“We need to have a job in making certain that the subsequent era can have entry and the chance to get the schooling they deserve,” stated Oehmig. “The corporate’s tradition is such that if staff require time away from the workplace to volunteer, nobody is wanting on the clock. There’s a excessive degree of belief right here. We schedule these initiatives in a method that has a minimal impression on operations. We’re versatile with our associates and haven’t felt the necessity to formalize that.

”When the corporate issued its first company sustainability report final yr, the purpose was to share a set of aspirational objectives with the general public. This up to date report is one other step to exhibit Glen Raven’s dedication to accountability, in response to the corporate.

“We’ve all the time operated with the idea that enterprise development is most dear when accomplished alongside the expansion of individuals and preservation of the planet,” Oehmig added. “I thank our devoted staff and companions working towards our formidable objectives regardless of the pandemic and provide chain challenges. I commend them for the wins made final yr and for his or her continued drive for extra wins to come back.”

For extra info and to view the progress report, go to GlenRaven.com/sustainability.

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