CINCINNATI—In honor of Earth Day, Cintas Corp. announced that it helped eliminate more than 15 million plastic bottles from the waste stream and save 8.5 million trees by reusing plastic waste within its eco-apparel product line. Cintas also reduced water use, packaging and chemical waste through its facility services and recycled paper products as part of its document shredding services.
“Cintas is always looking for ways to help our customers achieve their sustainability goals and reduce their impact on the environment,” said Pamela Brailsford, senior director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability, Cintas. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with our 900,000 customers in order to make such a sizeable positive impact on the earth.”
The production of eco-apparel, made from recycled polyester fiber, allowed Cintas to repurpose the equivalent of more than 15 million 16.9 ounce plastic bottles in 2011. From sustainable tops, bottoms and scrubs to washable tuxedos, these products limit the amount of water and energy consumed while preserving natural resources. For example, the Regeneration suiting collection from Cintas diverts approximately 25 plastic bottles from the waste stream with the construction of each suit. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), manufacturing products made from recycled plastic require 66 percent less energy. It also reduces water use by 90 percent and helps eliminate harmful carbon emissions. Further, many of the suiting options can also be laundered at home to limit the need for harsh dry cleaning chemicals.
Cintas document shredding services, which securely shreds and then recycles confidential business records, recycled more than 330,000 tons of paper. For each ton of paper recycled, 26 trees are saved, resulting in a total savings of approximately 8.5 million trees. Additionally, by diverting this paper from landfills, the greenhouse gas emissions savings equate to removing more than 180,000 cars from roadways for one year.
Cintas’ Signet Cleaning Chemical Service reduces water use, packaging and chemical waste through a unique, mounted chemical dispensing unit. In addition, many of Cintas’ cleaning chemicals are Green Seal certified for meeting the highest standards of environmental quality and performance.
For more information about Cintas’ green initiatives, visit www.cintas.com/green.
