You’ve heard how important the green routine is to Publix, and our stores have done a great job of answering the call by reducing, reusing and recycling. But have you ever wondered where all those materials go once they’re loaded onto the truck and leave the store?
Well, they end up at one of our nine return centers for processing, where they’re sorted by material and dispersed accordingly. Just to name a few — milk crates are quickly washed and sent to the dairy plant to reduce the need for ordering more, corner boards — which are used to provide support to stacks of boxes on pallets — are sent back to the vendor for reuse, and stretch plastic is baled for shipping to the recycler.
Reducing waste, reusing resources and recycling materials when possible is important to Publix, but we wouldn’t be able to do nearly as much if it weren’t for our trucks. Once at the return center, the trailer is unloaded and cleaned. The more organized the trailer, the quicker our trucks can get back on the road to deliver groceries and pick up more return center items. Take a look at what a properly loaded trailer looks like above, and read tips below to help expedite each stop.
1 – Place pallets of similar height together for increased stability. Stack pallets by color and size, if possible.
2 – Separate hard plastics like pharmacy pill bottles and tote straps from soft plastics like stretch wrap and post-consumer materials. And, keep all contaminants out. If something’s already contaminated, throw it away.
3 – Clean baskets and totes.
4 – Secure loose items like returns in banana boxes.
5 – Use load-securing straps to secure the load.
Are you in a green routine at home?
Whether you recycle aluminum and plastic, compost food scraps, or if you’ve reduced your trash production or energy consumption, Publix News wants to know just how green you are at home! From your personal email address, submit videos, pictures or stories to corporate.communications@publix.com, and you could be featured in Publix News. Be sure to include your name, job title and work location, and get your entry in by Friday, Feb. 20.
Publix News Live: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Road trip! Publix is committed to being intolerant of waste. Our trucks play a major role in helping us reduce, reuse and recycle materials by delivering them to return centers for processing. Ride along with Publix News Live to see what the return center does for Publix and the green routine.
