Environmental stewardship has been a strong focus for Amway since the beginning. Care and concern for the planet was demonstrated with Amway’s first product – Liquid Organic Cleaner – a concentrated, biodegradable cleaning product unlike others on the market at the time. Today, sustainability continues to be at the forefront in how the company operates and serves ABOs.
The most recent example comes from an unlikely location – the parking areas of the WHQ campus in Ada, Michigan. USA. There the development of landscaped bioswales represents the next step in the company’s environmental story.
“A bioswale is a stormwater retention area that has a lot of vegetation and growth in it,” said Rick Van Dellen, Amway’s Environmental Lead. “It allows the water to percolate down through the soil and also for the plants to absorb the water and transpire it up.”
Ada’s campus is developing several of these bioswales that use specialized landscaping to slow, collect, filter and absorb rain runoff from roofs, streets and parking lots.
According to Van Dellen, since the Ada campus is located in the floodplain of the nearby Grand River, stormwater is funneled into the river within minutes. Bioswales filter most of the debris and contaminants from the stormwater so it doesn’t go into the river.
The area where Amway’s largest bioswale will be located covers 10 acres of what was part of one of the campus’ larger asphalt parking lots. The bioswale will include a porous sidewalk and tree islands that will capture and dissipate the stormwater, diverting it from the river.
These bioswales are the latest in a long line of Amway initiatives that ensure good stewardship of the environment. The company’s efforts were recognized when Amway was named the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2017 Safer Choice Partner of the Year winner for making home and cleaning products that are safer for families, workplaces, communities and the environment.
Amway has also recently announced the installation of solar panels both in the parking lot and roof of the Buena Park complex.
“We plan to generate about 20 percent of the electric needs for our Buena Park complex,” Van Dellen said. In addition, Van Dellen estimates 50 percent of power on Ada’s campus is purchased wind power. He also says the company has a goal of being landfill free by 2020.
These are all examples of recent efforts by Amway to be even more sustainable. Whether through recycling, wind power, sustainable packaging, safer ingredients in Amway products – Amway’s committed to using more green power, reducing waste, greenhouse gases and water usage to ensure the health and safety of all ABOs and their customers.
Since the company was founded, Amway has taken steps to be an industry leader in environmental initiatives. With each passing year we’re stepping up our efforts to go green. Check out this WHQ News “pop-up” video for a look at Amway’s environmental efforts by the numbers.