During the Environmental Stewardship Initiative (ESI) Annual Conference, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality recognized members of ESI for their commitment to environmental excellence.

“All the facilities involved in the state’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative have committed to going above and beyond to protect our natural resources,” said DEQ Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser. “Their efforts benefit both our environment and our economy.”

ESI is a voluntary program open to North Carolina companies who strive to go beyond the minimum requirements and are committed to setting and achieving sustainability goals and conservation targets.  ESI currently has 102 members across the state, and consists of three levels: Partners, Rising Stewards and Stewards, the highest level of achievement. This year, the program is made up of 30 Stewards, 10 Rising Stewards, and 62 Partners.   

At the conference, three companies received special recognition: 

Throughout the conference, ESI members and other business representatives learned about energy efficiency best practices, solid waste reduction strategies, recycling markets and regulatory topics.

ESI promotes and encourages superior environmental performance by North Carolina organizations. This non-regulatory program was established in 2002 to stimulate the development and implementation of programs that use pollution prevention and innovative approaches to meet and exceed regulatory requirements. Over the past 20 years ESI members collectively have reduced their water usage by more than 15.4 billion gallons and waste sent to landfills by 4.2 million tons. Since the program inception, ESI members reported a total financial savings (based on environmental reductions) of more than $102.8 Million.

For more information, visit, www.ncesi.org