Celebrating 10 years of 84.51°’s Green Team

As we celebrate Earth Day this month, we’re also celebrating, we’re also celebrating the 10th year of our Green Team – a dedicated group of 84.51° associates committed to advancing sustainable and eco-friendly practices in our workplace, homes, and communities. From leading waste reduction efforts like office composting and recycling to organizing events such as plant sales and park cleanups, the Green Team drives a wide range of impactful sustainability initiatives.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Green Team, we’re launching an initiative called “10 earth-friendly activities you can do” this month, and asking associates to post photos of one or more of those activities. Participants will be entered into a raffle for earth-friendly prizes such as solar chargers, reusable water bottles, year-long passes to Chicago Botanic Gardens and the Cincinnati Nature Center.

Championing sustainability

We’re also reflecting on the impact the Green Team’s passion for educating, promoting, and inspiring sustainability has had in our workplace and beyond. One of the many ways they promote sustainability is through our compost program. In 2024, we diverted 31,870 pounds of paper and food waste from the waste stream by sending it to a local composting facility near our Cincinnati office.

We've also implemented a central waste disposal system instead of placing waste bins at every desk so associates can consciously and intentionally place waste in containers designated for landfill, recycling or confidential shred. And recently, we incorporated collection bins for “hard to recycle” materials. These bins enable our associates to divert items ranging from chip bags, pakteks (plastic can holder rings), and office supplies to depleted gift cards, plastic utensils, shoes, egg cartons, and even eyewear.

As part of this practice, our Green Team launched a Pill bottle collection program, which reduces plastic waste by diverting empty plastic pill bottles from landfills and recycling them – sometimes repurposing them to improve medical care in developing countries. Since starting the program, the Green team has collected more than 600 pill bottles for reuse or recycling!

The Green Team also promotes sustainability outside of our office by supporting Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan and amplifying their work. This important initiative recovers and donates surplus food in Kroger's stores and facilities to help provide meals to nourish people in our communities. Since 2017, the plan has donated about 700 million pounds of surplus fresh food for local food banks and hunger relief agencies to improve food and nutrition security.

Creating new opportunities

These green programs in our offices make it easier for our associates to make sustainability a way of life. They also work in tandem with 84.51°’s renowned energy savings program. The electricity in our primary offices is generated from 100% renewable energy sources – since November 2024, all of the electric power for our Cincinnati office has been supplied by the solar array at the Cincinnati Zoo. We also utilize hands-free plumbing fixtures to minimize water waste, and our Cincinnati office offers six free EV charging stations.

It’s all part of 84.51°’s commitment to making a positive impact on the planet. As the Green Team's efforts and vision continue to grow, they will keep driving positive change and leading the way toward a more sustainable future within our offices and beyond.