FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, collaborates with the Society of Wilderness (SoW) to organize a series of environmental sustainability events, rallying clients, employees, and their families to participate in riverside clean-up activities along the Laojie River and Nankan River in Taoyuan City. FedEx has collected nearly 200 kilograms of litter in about 9 hours, making a valuable contribution to river conservation and sustainable environmental development.
FedEx chose Taoyuan City as the location of its riverside clean-up events, not only because Taoyuan is a significant hub for the logistics market in Taiwan, but also due to the deep bond FedEx has with the city, which serves as the FedEx main operation base. FedEx extended a special invitation to their clients, employees, and their families to take part in two riverside clean-up events along Taoyuan’s Laojie and Nankan rivers on October 14 and October 28. Despite the unstable weather during the events, everyone actively demonstrated the FedEx strong commitment to the local ecosystem and its positive engagement with the community. FedEx volunteers successfully gathered separated litter into more than 20 types, contributing to the preservation of Taoyuan city’s river environment.
“FedEx is honored to collaborate with the Society of Wilderness, to safeguard our oceans at the source. As part of our mission to connect the world responsibly and resourcefully, FedEx is working towards a goal of carbon-neutral operations globally by 2040. Alongside efforts to reduce emissions in pursuit of this goal, FedEx also collaborates with non-profit organizations to make donations and take actions related to sustainable development and environmental protection,” said Michael Chu, managing director of FedEx Taiwan. “Through the riverside clean-up events, we hope that our clients, employees, and their families have gained a better understanding on the importance of environmental conservation. This series of practical actions are another highlight of the company’s commitment to practicing corporate social responsibility. We look forward to initiating more sustainability events in Taoyuan City and other areas in Taiwan, to safeguard Taiwan’s environment and contribute to the realization of sustainable development.”
“According to the statistics from the joint efforts of FedEx and the Society of Wilderness, the types of litter we’ve collected the most are PET bottles, plastic bags, and cigarette ends. The events not only remind us that reducing plastic use and recycling need to be implemented in our daily lives as a Taoyuan citizen, but also the importance of keeping cigarette butts off the ground. Cigarette butts are composed of non-degradable polymers, carcinogens, heavy metals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. After transforming into plastic particles, they can contaminate soil and water sources, ultimately entering the food chain, posing a threat to both the environment and human health.” said De-Yi, Lu, the habitat team leader of the Society of Wilderness in Taoyuan Branch. “We look forward to more companies joining us as we work toward a more sustainable future.”
In addition, FedEx also organized two environmental education lectures with the Society of Wilderness to explore the beauty of Taiwan’s marine and river environments and delve into related conservation measures on September 27 and November 21. The Society of Wilderness released its first report on river waste screening in 2020, confirming that river waste is one of the major sources of ocean waste, as their compositions are similar. With the understanding that daily conservation actions are important to protect many unique species in Taiwan, FedEx volunteers also shared their experiences from the riverside clean-up events during the lectures. They emphasized the impact of improper waste management on ecosystems and reinforced their commitment to achieve the goal of environmental sustainability.
