22 million pounds of National Parks waste diverted from landfills

The Don't Feed the Landfills project has significantly reduced the amount of waste that national parks send to landfills. Since launching in 2015, the initiative, a collaboration between Subaru of America, and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), has helped the National Park System eliminate 22 million pounds of waste through reduction, recycling, composting, and educational initiatives while engaging park visitors to lessen their environmental footprint.

The Don't Feed the Landfills Initiative started with three pilot parks – Denali National Park & Preserve, Grand Teton National Park, and Yosemite National Park. The automaker, which strives for zero-landfill expertise, partnered with the non-profit national park advocacy group NPCA to launch the project. Together, Subaru and NPCA engaged park concessionaires and community stakeholders to develop innovative waste reduction solutions and help design infrastructure systems to ensure sustainable and resilient park operations.

"The Don't Feed the Landfills Initiative has been an important undertaking at Subaru for nearly a decade and has led to the elimination of 22 million pounds of trash through recycling, composting, and educational initiatives," said lan Bethke, senior vice president, marketing at Subaru of America. 

According to the participants, the initiative's successes and long-term impact can be attributed to the collaborative community-based approach in and around the pilot parks. With a network of nearly 60 park partners supporting the effort, the ripple effects of these efforts extend to nearby park communities. The work done at Denali, Grand Teton, and Yosemite aims to change how millions of visitors experience America's national parks and plays a critical role in keeping waste out of them.

From sustainable food packaging to reusable containers, visitor stewardship, and educational programming, the initiative led to enhanced recycling and composting infrastructure, dedicated staff for educational outreach, and standardized bin labeling to increase recycling participation. Furthermore, Subaru also provided grant funding to the National Park Foundation to support engagement programs, and operational and infrastructure improvements, including over 1,000 new bear-proof containers and nearly 30 water-filling stations.

"Through our nearly 10-year partnership on the Don't Feed the Landfill initiative, we've helped keep millions of pounds of waste out of our parks and the landfills, made it easier and more clear to recycle, and connected with millions of Americans about ways they can help lessen their footprint when they explore our parks," said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association. "The systems and infrastructure we've put in place will benefit national parks, and all who visit them, for decades to come."