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Consumers team also helps EV purchasers understand “The equipment in the Vertical has enabled us to vet the
how to charge their vehicles and find charging stations compostability and recyclability for new products against
near work or while on vacation. APR and ASTM standards throughout the development
process so we can ensure our products can have a Next
“We are also working with local communities across the Life,” said Westerfield.
state to get more public charging stations installed,” said
Wimmer. “Our team is also working with large business For decades, Dart has been a leader in providing and
customers on how and when to make the transition to promoting access to recycling programs for food and
electric vehicles.” beverage packaging. Since 1998, Dart has recycled more
than 21 million pounds of post-consumer foam and
Wimmer also attributed careful planning and a dedicated the company worked with the Foodservice Packaging
team to Consumers Energy’s ability to successfully Institute to create a coalition that awards grants to
implement one of the most aggressive clean energy communities working to offer foam recycling programs.
plans in the country. Since 2015, over 8 million additional residents in the U.S.
and Canada can recycle foam polystyrene as a result. Visit
Dart Container: All In for www.RecycleFoam.org to learn more.
Innovative Sustainability

As a global leader in
manufacturing in the food
and beverage packaging DART CONTAINER INVESTED $30
industry, Dart Container’s MILLION IN AN INNOVATION CENTER.
customers around the THE VERTICAL CONNECTS THE LATEST
world count on them for RESEARCH TO DART’S CUSTOMERS’
innovation in creating a NEEDS AND VENDORS
growing set of products
and services that meet
their needs. The Dart team
takes action on initiatives
that reduce or eliminate
the impact their products
and practices have on
neighborhoods, towns and
the planet. Dart developed
its “All IN” strategy to
invest in innovative
sustainability programs
that inspire others to take
action.

“We are designing products that Dart also invests in recovery solutions for virtually all
will provide superior function at of the products the company produces whether they
an affordable price in their first life are made with paper or plastic and whether they need
and are designed for recovery in to be composted or recycled. Dart also invests in litter
their next life whether it be through mitigation solutions like a storm water capture device
composting or recycling,” said grant program administered by the Council of the Great
Michael Westerfield, Dart Container Lakes Region.
Corporation’s vice president of
Sustainability. DTE: Bold Goals for a
Clean Energy Future
WESTERFIELD
Dart has a long history of foam
recycling and other sustainability-focused actions and DTE Electric unveiled its CleanVision Integrated
is continually looking to do more. In 2019, Dart invested Resource Plan in 2022. The plan calls for the company
$30 million in a technical and innovation center, where to dramatically increase renewable energy and storage,
research and development teams are focused on hasten the retirement of its last two coal plants, and
developing new products that meet their First Use accelerate carbon emission reduction goals. DTE Gas
Next Life™ criteria. This center, called the Vertical, plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions
consolidates Dart’s engineering staff and capabilities to through an innovative plan that includes both its
foster collaboration among employees in concert with suppliers and customers by 2050.
customers and vendors.

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