Parks Group Honors Subaru of America for Years-Long Commitment to Safeguarding America’s National Parks

NEW YORK, October 13, 2023 /3BL/ - The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) honored Subaru of America, Inc. with the Centennial Leadership Award at its New York Gala for the automaker’s ongoing commitment and support for our national parks. The President and COO of Subaru of America, Inc. Jeff Walters accepted the award. The event was held at the American Museum of Natural History and included more than 300 guests.

NPCA’s park expertise paired with Subaru’s innovation and commitment to sustainability offered a unique opportunity to work together to keep millions of pounds of waste out of parks. The work that Subaru, NPCA and its partners have accomplished together will last for generations.

NPCA first partnered with Subaru in 2015 to help three national parks reduce their waste going to landfills as part of the Don't Feed the Landfills Initiative. The successful pilot program has grown, now extending to more national parks and communities across the country.

Guided by Subaru’s sustainability expertise and leadership, the partnership has helped reduce waste at iconic places including Denali, Yosemite, and Grand Teton National Parks, recycling or composting 22 million pounds of waste that otherwise would have gone to landfills. Additionally, more than 2.5 million pounds of food waste was instead composted, and the ripple effects of these efforts extend to surrounding park communities.

“Subaru leads by example and lives by their principles, helping to inspire millions of people about how they can reduce their waste at our parks,” said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association. “We jumped at the opportunity to work with industry leaders like Subaru on this project that we knew would have a lasting impact. Generations of people will benefit from the investments they are making to support our parks’ sustainability efforts today. Subaru is so deserving of this recognition, and I am honored to celebrate them in this way.”

The successes and long-term impact of the waste reduction initiative can be attributed to the collaborative community-based approach in and around national parks. With a network of more than 40 park concessionaires and partners supporting the effort, the challenging work that began at Denali, Yosemite and Grand Teton is changing the way millions of park visitors experience our parks and how they play a critical role in keeping waste out of them. The lessons learned at the first three pilot parks provide a roadmap for more national parks to implement successful sustainable practices and the opportunity to educate park visitors about how they can help.

The zero-landfill initiative is part of Subaru Loves the Earth®, the automaker’s environmentally focused philanthropic pillar of the Subaru Love Promise. Subaru believes in being a positive force in the communities where they live and work, not just with donations, but with actions that set an example for others to follow and create change in the areas which the company and Subaru owners care about the most.

“At Subaru, we are committed to protecting the Earth through smart environmental practices and advocacy in order to ensure the vitality of our planet’s natural spaces,” said Jeff Walters, President and COO of Subaru of America. “Like our customers, Subaru of America wants our national parks to exist as a resource for countless future generations, and we proudly take on that responsibility in partnership with the National Parks Conservation Association.”

NPCA’s New York Gala offers an influential gathering of dignitaries including business leaders and the conservation and environmental communities.

Please enjoy media-ready images from the Gala here.

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About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.5 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.

Media contacts:

Alison Heis 
Communications Director 
National Parks Conservation Association 
aheis@npca.org 

Diane Anton 
Corporate Communications Manager 
Subaru of America, Inc. 
danton@subaru.com