GROWING AS A GOOD STEWARD As our campus continues to change, grow and take new shapes, we keep a constant eye on environmental stewardship. From horticulture to sculpture, hospitality to facilities, we diligently seek new and novel ways to raise our sustainability performance. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is intimately intertwined with the natural world. As environmental stewards, we respect the beauty of our diverse environment by nurturing its health, preserving its integrity and protecting its legacy for generations to enjoy. When we construct new facilities, they are all built to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. We partner with companies who share our environmental passion and, whenever possible, source and transport building materials in the United States to lower our carbon footprint.
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ORGANIZATIONAL HIGHLIGHT
Two years ago, we created an internal Waste Reduction Task Force to reduce landfill waste. Improvements to date include more intentional recycling efforts, most notably the recovery of recyclable cans and bottles from our popular Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens. Last year, we stationed cardboard bins throughout the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater. This past season, we upgraded to permanent metal cans marked for trash, recycling and deposit returns. To increase efficiency and accuracy, we staffed these stations with volunteers to help patrons sort recyclables and, ultimately, decrease recycling contamination. The new concessions building also includes a can crusher, with recycling picked up three times a week. Deposit items are returned, with money serving our General Operations Fund. As of September, we had already collected 35,000 recyclables—more than doubling the total from the 2018
