The Centennial Leadership Award was awarded by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) to Subaru of America, Inc. at its New York Gala. The award was given in recognition of the automaker’s continued dedication and support for national parks. Jeff Walters, President and COO of Subaru of America, Inc., received the award at the American Museum of Natural History in front of more than 300 guests.
Subaru’s innovative and sustainable approach coupled with NPCA’s expertise in parks presented a unique opportunity to work together and keep millions of pounds of waste out of parks. The partnership between Subaru, NPCA, and its partners will endure for generations, with the work they have accomplished together.
In 2015, NPCA partnered with Subaru to reduce waste going to landfills in three national parks as part of the Don’t Feed the Landfills Initiative. Since then, the successful pilot program has expanded to more national parks and communities across the country.
Guided by Subaru’s sustainability expertise and leadership, the partnership has helped reduce waste at iconic places such as Denali, Yosemite, and Grand Teton National Parks by recycling or composting 22 million pounds of waste that would have otherwise gone to landfills. In addition, over 2.5 million pounds of food waste was composted, and the positive effects of these efforts extend to the surrounding park communities.
“Subaru leads by example and lives by their principles, helping to inspire millions of people about how they can reduce their waste at our parks,” said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association. “We jumped at the opportunity to work with industry leaders like Subaru on this project that we knew would have a lasting impact. Generations of people will benefit from the investments they are making to support our parks’ sustainability efforts today. Subaru is so deserving of this recognition, and I am honored to celebrate them in this way.”
The waste reduction initiative’s successes and long-term impact can be attributed to the collaborative, community-based approach in and around national parks. With support from a network of more than 40 park concessionaires and partners, the challenging work that began at Denali, Yosemite, and Grand Teton is changing the way millions of park visitors experience our parks and how they play a critical role in keeping waste out of them. The lessons learned from the first three pilot parks provide a roadmap for more national parks to implement successful sustainable practices. It also offers an opportunity to educate park visitors about how they can help.
The zero-landfill initiative is part of Subaru Loves the Earth®, the automaker’s environmentally focused philanthropic pillar of the Subaru Love Promise. Subaru believes in being a positive force in the communities where they live and work. Not just with donations but with actions that set an example for others to follow. These actions create change in the areas the company and Subaru owners care about the most.
“At Subaru, we are committed to protecting the Earth through smart environmental practices and advocacy in order to ensure the vitality of our planet’s natural spaces,” said Jeff Walters, President and COO of Subaru of America, Inc. “Like our customers, Subaru of America wants our national parks to exist as a resource for countless future generations, and we proudly take on that responsibility in partnership with the National Parks Conservation Association.”
NPCA’s New York Gala brings together influential leaders from business, conservation, and environmental communities.
