LAKELAND, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the sixth year in a row, Publix is supporting the restoration of damaged Florida watersheds through a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation. Publix’s donation will allow for the planting of 126,000 longleaf pine saplings near Econfina Creek and Chipola River, areas nearly stripped of trees by Hurricane Michael in 2018. Planting began Jan. 4, 2022, and concluded Feb. 28, 2022. Since 2016, 731,000 trees have been planted in Florida due to the company’s donations.
“It is our privilege to support projects that protect and restore the freshwater supply in our home state,” said Publix Director of Environmental and Sustainability Programs Michael Hewett. “Our collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation will have a lasting effect on the quality and quantity of drinking water in our Florida aquifers.”
The annual donation is funded primarily with proceeds from the sale of Publix-branded reusable bags.
Publix’s water stewardship efforts
As part of the company’s commitment to sustainability, Publix has embarked upon long-term collaborations to support freshwater restoration in the state of Florida.
Since 2016, Publix has supported the Arbor Day Foundation in planting 731,000 trees in four damaged Florida watersheds. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, over the next 50 years, these trees are estimated to reduce rainwater runoff by intercepting more than 66 billion gallons of rainfall. When runoff is reduced, more water soaks into the ground and, ultimately, into the aquifers supplying Florida residents with clean drinking water. Additionally, the trees are estimated to absorb more than 467,000 metric tons of net carbon dioxide during the same period.
Additionally, in 2021, Publix donated additional funds to remove invasive trees and plants from portions of the Florida Everglades. These non-native trees and plants disrupt Florida’s natural water cycle by using standing water from rainfall before it can seep into the underground aquifers that provide 8 million South Florida residents with their daily supply of drinking water. A portion of the $2 million donation is being used by the National Audubon Society for a five-year project to remove invasive willows and other plants from approximately 500 acres in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the western Everglades. The National Park Foundation is using its portion of the donation on a three-year effort to remove and control invasive Australian pine trees in approximately 500 acres of the saline glades region in the eastern portion of Everglades National Park.
More information about Publix’s sustainability efforts can be found at sustainability.publix.com.
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 230,000 associates, currently operates 1,297 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 24 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.
