Employees of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB), the parent company of market-leading brands such as Rayovac®, Remington®, Kwikset®, Cutter®, Nature's Miracle®, George Foreman®, and Armor All®, took to their local communities in Dayton, OH; Lake Forest, CA; Middleton, WI; and St. Louis, MO for a company day of service focused on water stewardship.
The day of service event, “Renew the Blue,” aimed to build on Spectrum Brands' work in south-central Wisconsin and increase awareness about how caring for the land through actions such as litter cleanup, planting trees, and removing invasive plants, can help protect the quality of nearby bodies of water, the communities around them, and the wildlife that call them home.
“We are excited to engage all four of our U.S. headquarters locations for this day of service,” said Spectrum Brands Division Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer Daniel Hutter. “Together, we are realizing this year's volunteer goal of More People, More Places, More Impact.”
The company's passion for water improvement is rooted in its partnership with the Clean Lakes Alliance, a Madison, Wisconsin-based nonprofit devoted to improving the water quality of the lakes, streams, and wetlands of the Yahara watershed. As a Sustaining Founder of Clean Lakes Alliance, Spectrum Brands has put a larger emphasis on protecting water quality in the Madison area for the last six years.
“Spectrum Brands is the largest corporate partner of Clean Lakes Alliance, but their involvement goes way beyond financial support,” said Clean Lakes Alliance Executive Director James Tye. “Over 100 employees volunteer their time each year towards projects that help make our lakes cleaner and clearer for our community.”
This is the second national employee day of service for Spectrum Brands, with a focus on water quality and stewardship. To strengthen the impact and educational value of the day, Spectrum Brands has partnered with NEEF (National Environmental Education Foundation). A leader in lifelong environmental education, NEEF will be on the ground at three volunteer sites to provide educational take-away materials and a series of family-friendly activity guides focused on water stewardship for Spectrum Brands employees.
Each location's event will have a different focus and project related to protecting water quality. Clean Lakes Alliance, which has hosted Spectrum Brands volunteer events in the greater Madison, WI area for the past four years, will again host the company headquarters day of service, with a focus on removing invasive plants from Pheasant Branch Creek â a major tributary to Lake Mendota and the Yahara watershed â and Bock Forest. Employees in Dayton, OH will be tending to newly planted trees at the Five Rivers MetroParks Shiloh Woods Conservation Area. Lake Forest, CA employees will be trimming native shrubs in a sensitive habitat restoration area of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. In St. Louis, MO, employees will volunteer at Gateway Greening's Urban Farm where they will be weeding, planting, harvesting vegetables, and tending to crops.
To extend the impact of its day of service, Spectrum Brands has committed $2,500 sponsorships for each community partner to support volunteerism and water stewardship activities. Sponsorship administration will be provided by NEEF.
Spectrum Brands operates with a commitment to the environment, sustainability, and corporate responsibility and plans to involve employees throughout the year in environmental education and community engagement.