As an Atlanta-based non-profit, we are quite proud to live in a racially diverse and culturally rich community with the backdrop of Martin Luther King, Jr. His commitment to non-violence and racial equality resonates in our values. Because of these values, recent violence troubles us yet we are even more outraged at the systemic racism that instigated these events. It compels us to reaffirm our commitment to racial justice and inclusion by expressing our unwavering support to efforts to eliminate racism from all sectors of our society. While the recent focus for many might be law enforcement, I urge everyone in the environmental community to hold up a mirror and look at our diversity and inclusion. Quite frankly, we haven’t done enough to be inclusive of all races and persuasions. So let’s use recent events as an opportunity to start conversations, to dig deeper and collectively commit to determine what we can do to extinguish racism from our work. At Call2Recycle, we will be reviewing our hiring and training practices to place a much higher priority on diversity and inclusion. I hope others in the environmental community will join us in this effort.
Carl E. Smith
CEO & President, Call2Recycle, Inc.