Here at Atlas, we have a responsibility for the world in which we operate.
Our commitment to safeguard the environment is reflected in how we manage our aircraft, our facilities and our resources by continuously striving to reduce our natural resource consumption and responsibly managing the lifecycle of the materials we use.
LED lights installed at Atlas Station in George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
Recently, Atlas’ Supply Chain team spearheaded a number of greening initiatives at the Company’s stations, stores and warehouses, where maintenance supplies and materials are stored, in support of our priority of environmental stewardship.
“As the company further advanced its ESG commitments, this project became front and center for our team,” said Althea Arvin, Senior Director of Supply Chain Operations. “We realized we had an opportunity in our stores and warehouses to reduce waste, repurpose materials, and rethink what resources we use and how we use them.”
Leading the project for Supply Chain Operations was Todd Read, Regional Manager of Material Operations, Americas. With the help of his colleagues, Todd identified and developed initial opportunities for sustainable process improvements. By the end of summer 2021, Todd developed a plan to target three critical areas to reduce waste, and reduce consumption of electricity and fossil fuels.
“The heart of this project was strategizing how we can improve efficiencies, while making an effort to be greener,” said Todd. “We started looking at our processes in new ways and thinking about how we can handle materials differently, in regard to items being recycled or process improvements that are more environmentally-friendly.”
Mulch made from broken pallets at CVG.
Aligned with this strategy, Todd and his team began implementing several environmental initiatives such as partnering with organizations to transform old airplane galley carts into furniture and art as well as breaking down old wood pallets at our CVG location in Northern, KY, into mulch for landscaping. Additional efforts include installing LED lights in warehouses and replacing gas powered vehicles and forklifts with electric ones.
“The work is ongoing, and isn’t new. We have always been looking for opportunities to reduce waste and to be more mindful of our environmental impact at all of our locations,” said Todd.
For Althea and Todd, the hope is that these efforts will lead to more sustainable projects in the future, not only for Atlas but for the industry overall.
An electric forklift replacement model that has started to roll out in Atlas facilities.
“As a supply chain organization, we want to ensure that we’re delivering on our commitments to sustainability and are sending a clear message to the rest of the Company and beyond,” said Althea. “We’re very proud of the work that Todd and his team are doing to advance Atlas’ ESG strategy. Understanding where and how our business interacts with the environment has an intangible value. Our expectation is that as we do our part, the spirit of conservation will become contagious beyond our supply chain and station operations.”
For more information about Atlas’ commitment to ESG priorities, view Atlas’ most recent ESG Report here.
