Several Owens Corning manufacturing facilities are working with
Hose2Habitat to reuse fire hose, brushes, cardboard and more at zoos and
animal sanctuaries. Such industrial items become habitat enrichment –
toys and feeding and learning tools that enrich animals’ lives.
“The number of items we have identified that can benefit animal
enrichment keeps growing,” said Michele Mazza, energy and waste
reduction program manager, Owens Corning. “These items have gone to
landfills for years, but we are excited that they can now be put to good
use. An important sustainability goal at Owens Corning is to eliminate
waste to landfill, and Hose2Habitat is helping our facilities pursue
that goal.”
Currently, 10 Owens Corning facilities in North America donate
manufacturing items to zoos and sanctuaries through Hose2Habitat –
including facilities in Ontario, Canada, and the U.S. states of
Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.
“Owens Corning was instrumental in Hose2Habitat growing from a regional
program that donated fire hose into an international nonprofit
facilitating the donation of many different types of materials to zoos
around the world,” said Lisa Daly, executive director, Hose2Habitat. “We
are humbled by and grateful for the support that Owens Corning and its
employees have shown for our program.”
“Items such as sweeper brushes, cardboard tubes, buckets and bags are
some of the many items we receive from Owens Corning,” said Jodi
Carrigan, keeper at Zoo Atlanta. “These donations support enrichment and
better the lives of our animals.”
Owens Corning and Hose2Habitat have worked together since April of last
year. Many materials previously used in Owens Corning facilities can be
found in zoos and sanctuaries as animal habitat enrichment items. Fire
hoses have become hammocks for felines, feeders for lemurs and balls for
bears; sweeper brushes act as scratching posts for rhinos; and cardboard
tubes are now tossed around for enjoyment by camels, to name a few.
The Owens Corning team behind this joint effort with Hose2Habitat was
recently recognized with the company’s 2015 environmental outreach
award. More information about this story can be found at: Owens
Corning-Hose2Habitat video.
About Hose2Habitat
Hose2Habitat, headquartered in Maryland, is the only nonprofit
organization in the world whose mission is to provide and enhance
habitat enrichment for animals in zoos and sanctuaries through the
donation of recycled and other materials, workshops, and other programs
and projects. It is volunteer run, and its materials and services are
free to zoos, sanctuaries, and their staff. For more information, please
visit www.hose2habitat.org.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) develops, manufactures and markets insulation,
roofing, and fiberglass composites. Global in scope and human in scale,
the company’s market-leading businesses use their deep expertise in
materials, manufacturing and building science to develop products and
systems that save energy and improve comfort in commercial and
residential buildings. Through its glass reinforcements business, the
company makes thousands of products lighter, stronger and more durable.
Ultimately, Owens Corning people and products make the world a better
place. Based in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning posted 2015 sales of $5.4
billion and employs about 15,000 people in 25 countries. It has been a
Fortune 500® company for 61 consecutive years. For more information,
please visit www.owenscorning.com.
