By Aaron Welch, environmental supervisor

During Central Arizona Project’s Safety Week 2026, we showcased our dedication to safety and sustainability through a lunch event that united nearly 500 employees, all while actively minimizing our environmental impact.

Instead of the usual — hundreds of single-use plates, cups and utensils sent to landfill – CAP’s ECOTeam partnered with Bold Reuse for a more sustainable event.

Every employee enjoyed their lunch on reusable service ware. Those items – plates, silverware and cups – were then deposited in clearly marked return stations. After they were collected, they were commercially washed and put back into circulation.

Same event. Completely different results.

The impact was immediate. There were 2,357 single-use waste items – 148 pounds of waste — diverted from the landfill. This included 402 cups, 488 plates and 1467 utensils. Not to mention reduced disposal and hauling needs.

But what truly stood out was that employees were enthusiastic and eager to participate in the reuse efforts, demonstrating our ongoing dedication to sustainability.