Every June, the United Nations leads the world in celebrating World Environment Day. People from more than 150 countries participate and coordinate events every year. At State and Federal Communications, Inc., we want to do our part to protect the environment. In our efforts, we focus recycling and sustainability, as well as supporting community partners in their sustainability efforts.

Recycling and sustainability:

We focus on four areas of recycling: single-use packaging, paper and cardboard, electronic waste, and fluorescent bulbs.

In 2017, we started working with the city of Akron and Downtown Akron Partnership as part of their single-stream recycling program. This makes it much easier to recycle single-use containers, like plastic bottles and aluminum cans, and boxes to prevent them from going to landfills. We have also worked with Weaver Industries, based in Akron, for their SecurShred services to shred, then recycle, all business paper. Additionally, the city of Akron collects flattened cardboard and processes it at a local facility.

Because electronic waste and fluorescent bulbs are toxic when buried in landfills, our policy is to upgrade all failed fluorescent bulbs or fixtures to LED. We also recycle all e-waste (computers, monitors, cables, batteries, and small electronic items) at a facility in Hudson, Ohio, who handles and disposes of them properly.

In 2023, we recycled:

• 1,141 lbs. (.571 tons) of e-waste
• 6,233 lbs. (3.117 tons) of paper
• 48 lbs. of fluorescent bulbs

This resulted in a total of 7,411 lbs. (3.711 tons) of materials recycled.

Community partnerships:

We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that access to environmentally sustainable options is not equitable and the results of environmental injustices harming communities not only in our own city, but all over the world.

Through our Corporate Social Responsibility and DEI efforts, we support organizations that are working to bridge these gaps.

We began working with the Akron Zoo in September 2019. By bringing aluminum cans to the Akron Zoo’s collection center, they can recycle them and send the money to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, which helps plant trees in the Brazilian rainforest. In 2023 alone, we collected 3,443 cans, resulting in 68 trees planted in the Brazilian rainforest.

We have also been long-time supporters of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, which plays a critical role in local sustainability. Through a variety of programs, they rescue food that would otherwise go to waste to feed families facing hunger. Some of these programs are Direct Distribution, Community Harvest and Starbucks Foodshare programs, the agency direct pickup program.

These are just a couple of the organizations that we support in their missions to protect our planet and our neighbors. With our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, in conjunction with our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, we aim to do our part in supporting our community and our planet.