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3 Ways Kemin is Participating in World Cleanup Day

Posted September 11, 2024 by Jenn DuCray, North America Sustainability Manager

According to the World Bank, the world currently produces 2.01 billion tons of waste each year. And we are projected to create 3.4 billion tons of waste by 2050. In an effort to combat waste, Kemin is participating in World Cleanup Day on September 20.

World Cleanup Day’s mission is to empower individuals, communities, organizations, and governments in driving sustainable change in waste management practices through collective action.  While World Cleanup Day isn’t widely known in the United States, it is a global movement that has been recognized by the United Nations.

As a global company, Kemin is using World Cleanup Day to share a few tips on how organizations can reduce and properly dispose of waste. 

1. Recycle Electronic Waste

According to the World Health Organization, electronic waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the world. Lead and other toxic materials are released into the environment if electronic waste is not properly recycled.

At Kemin’s headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., the IT department has partnered with a local recycling center to pick up electronic waste every quarter. Through this partnership, Kemin recycles old computers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, chargers, and more and prevents this type of waste from heading to a landfill. 

2. Reduce Paper Waste

As a global company with more than 3,000 team members, there is a lot of paperwork that is generated for every employee. The human resources team has been investigating ways that they can reduce their paper waste by digitizing employee records.

 “We are taking paper employee files and transitioning them to electronic files to eliminate our current use of paper,” says Amanda Formaro, VP of Human Resources for Kemin. “This will be an online, secure way to maintain our data, while also improving our department’s sustainability efforts.”  Formaro also hopes that demonstrating how HR can reduce paper waste will encourage other departments to reconsider their processes and find more efficient and sustainable solutions. 

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3. Regularly Scheduled Cleanup Days

During regularly scheduled safety training, Kemin employees are encouraged to take time out of their schedule to clean their workspaces. Having a tidy workspace that is well-organized makes our labs, manufacturing facilities, and offices a safer and more efficient place to work.

Team members are encouraged to sort through any clutter in their area and recycle as much as possible. Kemin’s Environmental Health and Safety team coordinates the safe disposal of any universal waste, such as batteries or light bulbs, that is collected. 


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Jennifer DuCray, North America Sustainability Manager

Jennifer is a sustainability expert with more than 15 years of experience improving products and processes at Kemin Industries.