Stericycle commits $1M to the National Park Foundation for wetland preservation

Stericycle Inc., Bannockburn, Illinois, announced a $1 million, 5-year partnership with the National Park Foundation on Nov. 30. The National Park Foundation is the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Stericycle's commitment will support landscape and wildlife conservation with a focus on wetland restoration.

Together with its partners, the National Park Foundation is supporting efforts to restore and conserve wetlands, which could increase their carbon storage, improve water purification, help reduce the destructive power of floods and storms, stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion and provide critical habitats for fish and wildlife. Across more than 400 parks, the National Park System includes over 20 million acres of wetlands that are vital to their local communities and ecosystems.

"Stericycle was founded over 30 years ago in response to medical waste washing up on shores in the Northeast, and this partnership allows us to build on our efforts to protect waterways and the environment by directly supporting wetland restoration, which is integral to the livelihood of surrounding communities," Cindy Miller, president and CEO at Stericycle, says. "Our partnership with the National Park Foundation will fortify a more sustainable future for these parks and also highlights the important role that protected, safe and inclusive outdoor environments play in individual and community well-being."

This partnership builds on Stericycle's ongoing efforts to protect the public from harmful waste and help the healthcare industry make progress towards its sustainability and climate goals.

Globally in 2020, Stericycle announced it has:

• Responsibly disposed of 1.5 billion pounds of medical waste, protecting the public from potentially infectious materials;
• Diverted more than 104 million pounds of plastic from landfills with reusable sharps and pharmaceutical containers;
• Safely disposed of more than 40 million pounds of pharmaceutical waste, ensuring it does not end up in waterways; and
• Shredded and recycled 1.1 billion pounds of paper, safeguarding both confidential information and the environment.

"Wetlands in national parks are absolutely invaluable, and we must continue to protect these critically important habitats. We are proud to partner with Stericycle to help restore wetlands that are home to incredible wildlife resources and provide places for recreation, while also providing critical climate and water quality benefits," Jason Corzine, vice president of resource management at the National Park Foundation, says. "Stericycle's support will help protect and preserve wetlands for generations to come."