Cirba Solutions, through a new initiative titled "SustainABILITY 10,000," looks to educate communities about eco-living. The Cirba Solutions team will commit to 10,000 hours of community engagement, sustainable practices, and education in communities across North America.
The movement to live a more eco-friendly life continues to stagnate due to a lack of education about the practical steps necessary to have a positive impact on the environment. A recent study by Nielsen IQ revealed that 78 percent of consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them and 30 percent are more likely to purchase products with sustainable credentials. Cirba Solutions' new initiative focuses on increasing consumer education and social awareness of battery recycling opportunities in local communities.
"In battery recycling, we experience the gap between desire and education every day. Despite most consumers wanting to recycle batteries, many simply don't know how or where to do it. The result is that the majority end up in the trash or landfill and are not being properly recovered following battery end-of-life," said David Klanecky, CEO and president of Cirba Solutions. "But we also know battery recycling doesn't stand alone. Many eco-friendly choices we as consumers would like to make don't happen simply because of a lack of education about how to turn that desire into action. By committing 10,000 hours of education into our communities and neighbourhoods, our mission is to move that needle and empower people to take action and live a more sustainable life."
The effort will first centre on the regions where Cirba Solutions operates. These include North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, California, Michigan, Ohio, and British Columbia, Canada.
Specifically, the effort will focus on three key areas:
- Community education: Working in partnership with local communities, Cirba Solutions will integrate into existing education plans, while creating new ones to help spread the word about how and where individuals can recycle batteries.
- Community enhancement: Leveraging the power of neighbourhood connection, Cirba Solutions will provide physical and visual opportunities for programs such as battery collection events, local education opportunities, and support of STEM activities.
- Digital advocacy: Cirba Solutions will build online resources and tools accessible to every community to share resources and activities to develop green and sustainable literacy.
"This initiative takes what we do at Cirba Solutions every day and raises the bar, so we're focused on delivering actionable value into communities," said Karen Gay, community engagement manager at Cirba Solutions. "Our team is passionate about making a difference and we can't wait to continue the great work we've done alongside community leaders as well as create new partnerships with organizations who share our mission."