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In addition, they are able to get income
“From the straw-bale concept itself –
The resulting project guide is being
from selling scrap and other recyclables.
which is a more sustainable alternative
distributed and used not only by other
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Children hold up some of the
promotional material urging
residents to separate dry
waste from wet waste.
Cummins India partnered with Janwani,
an initiative to improve the quality of life
in Pune, to implement a trial program to
significantly reduce the amount of waste
that ends up in the landfill.
The “Zero Garbage” project is taking place
in one ward of the city but officials hope it
might be a model for the rest of the city –
and the country, too.
Cummins purchased sorting bins for the
11,000 households and businesses in
the ward. Then, more than 600 Cummins
employees canvassed the area, urging
residents through everything from door-todoor
meetings to puppet shows to separate
their wet and dry waste into two containers.
The wet waste is collected and placed in
air-tight containers, creating methane gas
that is used to run power generators that
provide light for the community. Pulling out
the biodegradable waste has reduced the
amount of trash trucked to the landfill by
“The deliverables on this project, all of the
outcomes, have significantly exceeded our
expectations,” said Raj Menon, who was
Chief Operating Officer of Cummins India
during much of the project. In May 2012, he
was named Cummins’ Executive Managing
Director – North America and Central
America (NACA) Distribution Business.
There’s still a long way before Pune’s
garbage problem is solved. But it’s clear
the Zero Garbage initiative is providing
hope in the city for a cleaner, healthier
and safer future.
AWARD
WINNER
BEST continuation
of a project
FRIDLEY GARDEN KEEPS ON GIVING
Fridley, Minn.
Where one seed is planted, the harvest
can be plentiful.
One year after a Community Giving Garden
was installed next to the Cummins Power
Generation Plant in Fridley, Minn., the
initiative using straw bale gardening has
spread to other Cummins sites and several
to traditional gardening – to the impact
on employees and the recipients of the
produce, it truly is a partnership that
benefits the local community on so
many levels,” she added. “We’re
proud to watch it grow.”
Straw bales can be placed virtually
anywhere as they do not require soil like
a traditional in-ground garden. Employees
volunteer their time to plant, harvest and
donate the produce to local nonprofit
organizations. Other benefits include:
»»
Soil and water conservation
»»
No pesticides and low
fertilizer use, resulting in little
or no water contamination
»»
Composting of garden waste
»»
A greatly reduced carbon footprint
The first year was a tremendous success
and attracted a lot of attention throughout
the Company. The strong interest in
community gardening led to another
Six Sigma project, this time led by Global
Brand & Internal Communications Analyst
Elena Grimm. She explored creating a
standardized process and “garden toolkit.”
Cummins locations but outside the
Company, too. Cummins’ Seymour,
Ind. Engine Plant, for example, started
a garden at a shelter and food pantry
in that city and several Minneapolis-area
corporations have started gardens as well.
AWARD
WINNER
BEST NEW ENTRY
A SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Community involvement team
Kenya and South Africa
Cummins Filtration has a small
workforce of a few dozen people in
Kenya and South Africa, but that didn’t
stop the business from reaching out
to help others in a big way.
Filtration’s Community Involvement
Team (CIT) tackled an ambitious garden
project that touched five institutions in
three communities and two countries.
In some cases, CIT members
worked with business partners
on the project to extend their reach.
LEFT Cummins Power
Generation employees work
on the straw bale gardening
at a housing project for
disadvantaged residents.
RIGHT Straw bale gardens
conserve soil, water and
fertilizer use and can
reduce or eliminate the
need for pesticides.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
nearly 8,000 pounds a day.
community partner locations as well.
The program is also building a stronger
“The impacts of the Giving Garden are
community by producing jobs for
many, and they keep growing,” said
disadvantaged residents who formerly
Project Management Analyst Melissa King.
picked through trash for items they could
Her 2010 Community Impact Six Sigma
sell. The program provides them with gloves
Project identified a need in the community
and equipment to pick up the separated
for fresh produce – especially among low
trash from households and businesses,
income residents. That led to the Fridley
which pay them for the service.
Giving Garden.
62 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2011–2012