Ten years ago, there was little discussion in our industry about sustainability. But Hunter Industries recognized the importance of conducting business with Social Responsibility in mind. Since then, we’ve dedicated ourselves to finding a balance between the people we serve, the planet we impact, and the profits we earn. We’ll mark this milestone with our 10th-annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report in 2022.

The pandemic has reinforced the idea that being outdoors plays an important role in our health. Green spaces are vital to this ethos. 

As a manufacturer, we are serious about our responsibility to the planet. We start with innovative product designs. Next, we incorporate recycled materials into our products whenever possible. Then, we strive to reduce the amount of scrap waste during the production process. This helps us limit our environmental footprint. 

Our conservation efforts don’t end after our products go out the door. We also seek ways to responsibly dispose of them once they reach the end of their life. Irrigation system components often end up in the landfill. We want to limit this waste. That’s why we lead the industry with innovative recycling initiatives.

Recycling can be challenging. It depends on the facilities and processing plants that are available. One category in which we’ve begun to see a measurable improvement is e-waste.

According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, almost 54 million tons of e-waste were discarded globally in 2019. Sadly, less than 20% is recycled annually. With this in mind, we partnered with award-winning nonprofit organization Blue Star Recyclers and one of our national distributors to create a simple program for collecting old irrigation controllers. This e-waste is recycled ethically.

As part of its mission, Blue Star Recyclers creates jobs for people with disabilities. Since launching the program, we’ve recycled more than six tons of e-waste! Our efforts have also helped pay for the employment of Blue Star Recyclers team members.

Workers separate materials from the returned irrigation controllers. Gold, silver, and platinum are recovered from the circuit boards. The plastics become feedstock to make a large variety of consumer goods. 

Recently, we expanded our recycling program to include more participants. We’ve added more distributor locations where customers can discard outdated irrigation controllers. We’re also looking for ways to responsibly recycle other irrigation components.

As we work to create a more resilient industry, we invite you to join us. We can’t do it alone. Your feedback and ideas are integral in helping us achieve our CSR goals. Share your thoughts with us at csr@hunterindustries.com.