Tupperware Brands Foundation, the non-profit arm of Tupperware Brands, announces its continued support for the National Park Foundation with a $2 million multi-year donation to create meaningful impact across the National Park System. With the national parks welcoming more than 300 million visitors annually, parks are experiencing an increased strain on resources, particularly waste infrastructure. To help alleviate these challenges, NPF developed the Resilience & Sustainability program to support the National Park Service in making park infrastructure more sustainable and efficient for generations to come.
As a premier partner of this initiative, Tupperware supports projects that range from large-scale installations of water refill stations at heavily visited areas such as the National Mall, to the construction of solar panels for Grand Canyon National Park’s waste transfer station, enabling the park to operate a full-time food waste composting program. The resulting environmental stewardship from these projects, among many others, supports NPS’ goal of diverting 50 percent of waste from landfills annually.
“Now more than ever, the planet needs our help, and our renewed commitment to the National Park Foundation helps preserve some of America’s most treasured spaces. When approached to continue our partnership, it was not even a question – not only is Tupperware further elevating our leadership in environmental stewardship, we are tangibly supporting conservation, preservation, and sustainability, which are all critical for the national park experience,” said Miguel Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer of Tupperware Brands. “For more than 75 years, Tupperware has been synonymous with minimizing waste, from reusable food containers to keeping vegetables and fruits fresher longer, with innovative, environmentally-friendly and reusable products, and we’re pleased to build on our brand’s heritage and the impact of this partnership to continue efforts to educate consumers and prevent waste before it begins.”
In one year alone, NPS manages nearly 80 million pounds of waste across national parks – the equivalent to filling approximately 600 dump trucks. As parks continue to work on improving sustainable operations and facilities, this multi-year funding from Tupperware will build on the successes from the first year of partnership with NPF, including the diversion of single-use plastics, waste-reduction strategies, education materials, and facility improvement projects. The continued partnership expands the opportunity for more parks to implement critical waste reduction projects, which could range from installing new water refill stations, to increasing the percentage of visitors who recycle, to improving recycling infrastructure, like signage and labels.
“Kicking off 2022 with a renewed sustainability commitment from Tupperware sets the tone for a fantastic year ahead for the national parks community,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “Tupperware’s partnership enables the National Park Foundation to expand our support for critical efforts that are helping to reduce energy use, reduce waste, conserve water, and ensure national parks will thrive for generations to come.”
From the beginning of the partnership in 2020, Tupperware’s support focused on critical waste reduction and diversion needs across some of the National Park System’s most visited sites, in alignment with the shared goal of reducing waste in parks and protecting resources for the enjoyment of current and future generations. To-date, projects at nine national parks have begun with a focus on:
- Reduction of single-use plastics: Projects focused on installing and improving water refill stations to reduce single-use plastics and trash in parks including Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center, Great Basin National Park, National Mall and Memorial Parks, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The collective impact of the water refill installations will result in the diversion of nearly 10 million single-use plastic bottles from landfills annually.
- Increased waste diversion: Tupperware funding supports composting infrastructure improvements and innovative pilot programs to reduce landfill waste in parks. Through the partnership, Grand Canyon National Park is able to install solar panels on its waste transfer facility, allowing the facility to maintain the temperature necessary to compost year-round, leading to the diversion of at least 1,000 tons of waste from the landfill per year.
- Increased recycling infrastructure and education: Along with recycling infrastructure, associated signage is equally important in helping visitors properly dispose of trash, recycling, and food waste, and Tupperware’s funding supported labeling projects at three parks — Yellowstone, Great Basin and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, aimed at improving each park’s ability to keep certain items out of the landfill and increasing waste diversion rates.
As part of the continuing partnership, park visitors and consumers can expect to see more content and videos showing what Tupperware and NPF are making possible for parks and people through this renewed partnership.
You can find more about Tupperware’s commitment to NPF and shop the limited-edition Tupperware® and NPF product line via a Tupperware® independent representative – more details on how to find an independent representative near you, here.
