Dart ContainerEnvironmental Stewardship Update

The centerpiece of sustainability for Dart is the unique ability to collect and process foam (#6) for recycling. The program which began in 1990 has grown to include collection of this material at all Dart manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and England. Many of these drop-off locations are open to the public 24/7 and all of them accept post-consumer food service products as well as shaped or molded foam.

Each of the 16 Dart plants is active in their respective communities, and work diligently to educate the public about the recyclability of foam. After all, education is vital to the success of any recycling program. The Quitman, Mississippi facility is a perfect example of the types of opportunities Dart has had to interact with some of the younger members of its community. In September, the Quitman staff supported the district’s first-ever foam tray recycling day at the Lower Elementary. Students in kindergarten through second grade were able to divert their lunch trays from the landfill and send them to the Dart center for recycling. Tommy Clay, Quitman’s Recycling Coordinator, also was a guest speaker at Quitman High School discussing the topics of recycling, reuse, and waste reduction.

In North Aurora, Illinois, the education and partnership goes beyond the school tours and speaking engagements. In January, 2011, Dart began a pilot program with the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, the City of Highland Park, and Pactiv to collect foam for recycling. The program launched with a “Recycling Extravaganza” at which foam was collected and has continued to be collected by establishing a community drop-off facility with the same partners. To date, the program has received more than 2,000 pounds of this lightweight product.

Recycling

A unique recycling opportunity presented itself during the filming of “X-Men: First Class” in Georgia. Set builders from the film contacted Dart to see if the scrap foam could be processed for recycling at our facilities. The material was transported to Dart’s collection centers in Lithonia, Georgia and Plant City, Florida. Between the two plants - over 7,500 pounds of foam were processed…that equates to approximately seven semi-trailer loads of loose material that was diverted from a landfill.

Another partnership of which Dart is proud occurred in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation worked with FedEx to transport endangered turtles to a new habitat. The mode of transportation for each of these animals was a foam box similar to an ice chest. The Dart plant in Florida was approached about the potential of processing these boxes for recycling after the relocation was complete. Thanks to The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, FedEx and Dart, 1,000 of these boxes were recycled.

Currently, the cradle-to-cradle recycling of this material is resulting in items such as premium interior molding, premium picture frames, pens, and flower pots/flats used by nurseries.

Dart’s commitment to recycling foam continues to grow. Across the country partnerships are being formed to aid in the collection, transportation, and processing of this material. In fact, as a result of these partnerships, curbside programs for foam are becoming more popular. Today, more than forty-five cities have curbside programs that include foodservice containers. In 2007, there were virtually zero. As recognition that foam is a valuable commodity grows, opportunities to recycle it will continue to expand.

The most important element of Dart’s success is our employees. It is through their dedication to excellence that they proudly share these stories of innovation. The commitment to community,

programs, recycling, and efficiency inspires our employees. And they are the inspiration for Dart to continue to be the industry leader in all these areas. There is great pride in the stories our employees tell about Dart. From the use of landfill gas as an alternative energy source to the

extended producer responsibility of capturing our products once the intended use has been fulfilled, Dart continues to set the industry standard of excellence. As of today, Dart is the only major manufacturer of foodservice containers to offer on-site recycling programs, drop-off recycling

programs, and mail-back recycling programs. These programs are a testament to our environmental stewardship and put us one step closer to meeting the needs of today without sacrificing those of future generations. Through this balanced approach and adaptability to emerging technologies,

Dart will continue to exercise effective environmental stewardship in pursuit of a sustainable future.