GF Rolls Out Plan to Eliminate Carbon Footprint in US

GF Piping Systems, in partnership with Land Life Company, will plant 14,000 trees to completely zero out its carbon footprint in the United States

Irvine, CA: GF Piping Systems (GF), a global supplier of plastic piping systems for the safe and reliable transportation of water, chemicals and gases, has partnered with Land Life Company to offset its U.S. carbon footprint by planting 14,000 trees in California, Texas and Oregon beginning October 19, 2020. On Nov. 19, all U.S. company locations participated in ceremonial plantings to commemorate GF’s commitment.

Through the project with Land Life Company, whose mission is to help restore 2 billion hectares of degraded land in the world, GF will offset the carbon footprint that its production plants within the United States generate. The reforestation project will reduce CO2, help to restore important ecosystems, improve biodiversity, and create social and economic benefits to local communities.

The announcement marks another milestone in GF’s history of environmental responsibility. In 2015, GF launched the ‘Walk for Water’ charity event to raise awareness and funds to provide clean water to those in need. At the time, it was reported that roughly 1.8 billion people worldwide were without access to safe water. Some 200 participants symbolically carried buckets of water on a designated 3 ½ mile route – a daily routine for many around the globe who live without clean drinking water at home. That year the charity walk raised $40,000 in support of the Water Mission aid organization. In 2019 GF expanded ‘Walk for Water’ to four countries. More than 1,000 participants from the US, Germany, Indonesia and Switzerland joined the walk raising $500,000 towards clean water projects.

“At GF we believe it as our responsibility to invest our time, our money and our efforts to create sustainable solutions,” says James Jackson, Head of GF’s Business Unit in the Americas. “It’s not enough to just stop polluting the environment, we have to actually reduce pollution. With the Land Life Company project, GF takes another decisive step towards sustainability by using a percentage of profits and investing it back into the environment.”

GF’s piping technology also enables sustainable solutions to environmental issues. Customers like Biwater Inc. have implemented advanced water treatment facilities for groundwater replenishment. Their plant in Pico Rivera, California (USA) helps to eliminate reliance on imported water from mountain lakes and rivers in Northern California and the Colorado River. Treated wastewater that would otherwise be wasted to the ocean, is purified to an extremely high standard and then delivered to nearby spreading fields where it percolates into the local aquifer. This water migrates over weeks to local ground water wells used to extract water as the feed source for the areas water treatment plants. This indirect potable reuse from wastewater resources, is a locally sustainable alternative to imported water in Southern California.

GF has been focusing on sustainability and driving down energy usage in their manufacturing processes for over 15 years. Use of GF plastic piping products benefit the environment by providing long service life, low corrosion, recyclability, and the fact they require less energy to manufacture than other types of piping products like metal and stainless steel. Their piping systems are used in many water applications that enable customers to further sustainability. That means, among others, leak-free and safe delivery of water, gas, and chemicals to the utility sector, energy-efficient process water solutions for industrial applications, as well as hygienic water for private homes and commercial buildings.

“The topic of sustainability requires serious action,” Jackson emphasizes. “Individuals can only do so much - it’s corporations that are responsible for sustainability. Most of the world now agrees that sustainability is an urgent matter to everyone. If we don’t hit this problem hard now, we’re not going to be able to reverse it. Companies are recognizing that returns on the environment are just as important as returns on investment. As a result, we are seeing a much needed shift that will ultimately change the world.”

"We are excited to be partnering with Georg Fisher and help them reach their admirable sustainability goals. Together, we will be planting trees in three distinctly different ecosystems, each vital to mitigating the impact of climate change. In California, our project will play a critical role in addressing the drought and resiliency against wildfires," said Rebekah Braswell, COO at Land Life Company.

For more information contact GF Piping Systems at toll Free (800) 854-4090; e-mail: info@us.piping.georgefischer.com; Web: www.gfps.com. Find out more about the GFPS Sustainability mission at: https://bit.ly/2sPdDdQ

Contact:
Georg Fischer LLC
Scott McGowan
(714) 362-4292
scott.mcgowan@georgfischer.com
9271 Jeronimo
Irvine, CA 92618-1904 USA
1800-854-4090
www.gfps.com

About GF Piping Systems

GF Piping Systems is the global expert for the safe and reliable transportation of water, chemicals and gases. The company specializes in plastic piping systems and system solutions plus services in all project phases. GF Piping Systems is active with its own sales companies in 34 countries and more than 30 production locations around the world. In 2019, GF Piping Systems generated sales of CHF 1.802 billion and employed 6,892 people. GF Piping Systems is a division of Georg Fischer AG, which was founded in 1802, and is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

www.gfps.com

About Land Life Company

Land Life Company is a technology-driven reforestation company that plants trees at scale, offering corporations and organizations a sustainable and transparent way to take climate action and compensate carbon emissions through nature restoration. With a mission to help restore the 2 billion hectares of degraded land in the world, Land Life Company applies data and technology, such as drones, artificial intelligence and monitoring applications, to every step of the planting process. Planting trees where it is needed most, Land Life Company’s projects revitalize important ecosystems, improve biodiversity and create social and economic benefits to local communities. It’s impact you can see.