Employees Fight Pollution Through Storm Drain Painting
Textron Systems is committed to minimizing our environmental footprint by finding innovative ways to create awareness on our campuses. To raise awareness for water pollution in our local community, our Maryland-based Green Team partnered with a local environmental nonprofit organization to train employees and then paint murals on storm drains around the campus.
The Green Team, a cross-functional group of employees at our Hunt Valley, Md., site, works together to promote green practices, reduce Textron Systems’ environmental footprint and foster employee awareness of environmentally sustainable habits and civic responsibilities. The team has hosted several interactive environmental workshops with a local nonprofit, including a session dedicated to storm drain art education.
After attending the training workshop, volunteers took to Textron Systems’ campus during off hours to transform our storm drains into colorful reminders for employees to be cognizant of their environmental impact and this company-wide project involved employees across all departments. Jenna Laube, Environmental Health and Safety Engineer and Green Team Lead said, “We had idea submissions from all areas of our business – it was encouraging to see employees so interested and engaged in an environmental side project.”
These storm drains not only brightened campus and brought our employees together, but also serve a larger purpose as a reminder of the role we play in our local environment. Through free-hand sketching and stenciled letters, the art highlights the connection between storm drains and the Chesapeake Bay, and the fact that there is no treatment or filtering between the two. Tayoni Scott, Logistics Manager of the A2PATS® product said, “This employee engagement activity allowed me to find my creative outlet and gave me the opportunity to make an impact on our community.”
While painting our campus storm drains may seem like a small feat, all efforts are important in fighting to keep our environment clean. “We are constantly looking at how we can reduce pollution, waste, manufacture our products with greener technology, go paperless, recycle and more. By always looking at the environmental components of the processes we use at our facilities, we can discover new ways to improve,” said Laube.
Our new, eye-catching storm drain murals remind us to be better stewards of the environment. Through continued engagement activities with the Green Team, including seminars, workshops and events focused on the environment throughout the year, employees at Textron Systems will continue to become increasingly aware of the need for environmental awareness. According to Laube, “Employees company-wide have become involved by participating in Green Team events and submitting ideas for future activities, allowing us to continue achieving our environmental initiatives and bettering our company as a whole.”
