April 19, 2023

It’s almost Earth Day! This upcoming Saturday is the 53rd official Earth Day since its creation during the environmental movement in 1970. Since then, awareness for environmental well being has increased tremendously, and now is the perfect time to acknowledge what has been done -and what still needs to be done- to continue to create a sustainable future.

History

In 1970, environmental advocates were inspired by the high energy of student anti war movements to call attention to the pressing issue of industrial damage to the environment in America. Increasing air pollution and the oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969 were motivators for immediate action and change, and on April 22nd, 1970, campus teach-ins were held to educate young people on the issue. Shortly after, the day was officially named Earth Day, and it quickly caught on both nationally and globally. Here we are, 53 years later, still celebrating and raising awareness for our beloved planet each year.

Environmental Involvement at Caster Concepts

Over the years, Caster Concepts has taken initiative to promote environmental well being not only within the company, but also in the community through company policy and local community service projects. 

Company Recycling Policy: A policy Caster Concepts uses that promotes environmental sustainability is their company recycling policy. Caster Concepts recycles 100% of all cardboard that both themselves and their downtown businesses receive. Recycling and repurposing cardboard has many impactful benefits to the environment, specifically reducing landfill volume, reducing greenhouse gases, and conserving trees and forests. The cardboard Caster Concepts recycles is reused for packaging material or is baled and sent to recyclers. 

Cleanup of Lloyd Park: One green community project that Caster Concepts initiated in 2022 was the cleanup of Lloyd Park, which is a beautiful public park in Albion located along the Kalamazoo River. Over time, the park had begun to show aging and slight deterioration (trees were overgrown, walls were crumbling, etc.). With these issues at hand, in addition to simply cleaning up the park, there were repairs made as well. Specifically, the stone walls, benches, and wooden platform were all repaired and restored to keep the park functional, beautiful, and enjoyable for the Albion Community. 

Green Space: In addition to Lloyd Park, another natural space that Caster Concepts has made efforts to maintain in the Albion community is a green space located at the corner of Erie and S Hannah Street along the railroad tracks. Green spaces are meant to bring open, natural spaces into urban environments, and have many benefits aside from their wonderful aesthetic. Green spaces allow for more outdoor recreation space in communities, promote biodiversity by broadening the plant and animal life in urban areas, and promote the integration of the natural environment and the urban environment.

As mentioned before, Caster Concepts highly values the practice of Conscious Capitalism and prioritizes giving back to the local community. The cleanup projects are just one of many efforts, and they also highlight what Earth Day is all about: Celebrating the good green Earth!