Publix Serves Week: More than 6,200 Publix Super Market associates from seven states are volunteering this week at over 220 state parks and other non-profit organizations that promote environmental sustainability.
Publix Serves was launched in 2015 and is one of the company’s community programs.More than 230,000 associates are involved in community service activities.
Publix CEO Todd Jones said that our spring Publix Serves initiative focuses primarily on expanding our commitment to the environment and volunteering with nonprofit organizations. With the help of our associates we can continue to build upon Publix’s decades-long dedication to caring for our natural resources while doing good together.
Associates are working with Keep America Beautiful affiliates and Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens and state parks to clean up waterways & trails, remove invasive plants, and complete repairs.
As part of its commitment to environmental sustainabilityPublix has entered into long-term collaborations in support of freshwater restoration in Florida.
Last year, the A grocer pledged $2million to save the Florida Everglades. Publix completed the first stage of its restoration initiative. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. To restore the natural landscape, 200 acres of invasive plants and other plants have been removed. A third-party evaluation found that the phase-one removal will allow for the return of more than 44,000,000 gallons of water annually to the wetlands ecosystem. This would be equivalent to almost 67 Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Publix has also contributed to the restoration of Florida’s watersheds for the sixth straight year through its annual donation made to the Arbor Day Foundation. The 2018 donation, which was funded primarily by the sale and use of Publix-branded reusable bags (primarily), will allow for the planting 126,000 longleaf pine saplings in the vicinity of Econfina Creek. These areas were almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Michael in 2018. Planting began Jan. 4 and ended Feb. 28.
Due to the company’s donations, 731,000 trees are now planted in four Florida watersheds.According to the Arbor Day FoundationThese trees will intercept more than 66 million gallons of rainwater over the next 50-year period. This is expected to reduce runoff. Reduced runoff means more water is absorbed into the ground, and eventually into the aquifers that supply clean drinking water to Florida residents. In the same time, trees will absorb more than 467,000 tonnes of net carbon dioxide.
Employee-ownedLakeland (Fla.)-based.PublixMore than 1,200 stores are located in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. The grocer ranks No. 11 on the PG 100, Progressive Grocers 202021 listTop North American food and consumables stores.
