Our theme for April is environment, and it’s only fitting that we got to experience every form of weather this month—Rain, snow, ice, sunshine—you name it. Not only that, but April is also the month that celebrates Earth Day on the 22nd. This month, we focused on ways to reduce your environmental footprint. Easy tips on how to do so can be found on Forward Wayne County’s social media. I encourage you to adopt some of these habits so we can all work together to help the environment.
Let’s take a closer look at one of our local businesses and how they contribute to environmental sustainability efforts. Wayne Bank has two locations that offer a free paper shred event: one in Cambridge City and the other in downtown Richmond. In the spring, the Richmond location hosts a free paper shred day, and both locations host the event in the fall. Paper shredding not only helps reduce paper waste but also promotes recycling. I asked Matt Railsback, Marketing Manager at Wayne Bank, a series of questions to gain insight into why they host these events each year.
Why shred?
We choose to host free shredding services to our communities because it combats two big issues of our day – security and sustainability. Security is a prevalent problem as scammers are getting more sophisticated and targeted in their approach. When you have paper laying around with sensitive information, it’s important to make sure it is disposed of in a safe manner. This leads to sustainability – Crowe Shredding helps us dispose of the material in a responsible and sustainable manner. The paper is shredded on-site, and the waste is delivered to a nearby recycling center to be repurposed for a variety of innovative uses.
How does the event work?
The events usually run from 8-11am and operate in partnership with Crowe Shredding. Their team has been a joy to work with as they share a passion for serving local friends and neighbors like we do. Events are hosted at our Downtown Richmond Branch (spring & fall) as well our Cambridge City Branch (fall only). Participants simply form a line, drop off up to 5 boxes of shred material, and are on their way. Some opt to stay and watch the shred process.
How does this event help minimize our environmental impact?
Reducing, reusing, and recycling are all great principles for us to consider day-in and day-out. These require a level of creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness to achieve. Unexpectedly, hosting these events has really encouraged our whole organization to become more thoughtful and efficient in our use of paper materials. We’ve found that prioritizing sustainability has caused us to process, curate, and store data in a more efficient and effective manner.
How does this event reflect Wayne Bank’s values? Why choose to open the event to the entire public, not just customers?
At Wayne Bank, our core values are Community, Integrity, People, and Sustainability. It’s easy to see how this event supports these values. By offering shredding services at no cost to the public, we are supporting individuals and our community at large, all the while conducting the event in a trustworthy manner that provides people with peace of mind.
We are a community bank through and through. We have the best customers around and love the opportunity these events give us to reach more folks who may not currently bank with us. Service isn’t just an obligation we have as a bank; it’s truly a passion for our team. Whether we’re helping businesses reach the next level, helping young adults save for a home, or offering a free shred event, we genuinely cherish the opportunity to serve people.
Upcoming Paper Shred Days
I really enjoyed hearing Matt Railsback’s input. I believe this to be a very helpful event that all community members should consider participating in. Wayne Bank’s Spring Paper Shred Day will take place this Saturday, April 26, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at their downtown Richmond location. The Cambridge City location will host a Fall Paper Shred Day on September 20. The downtown Richmond location will follow shortly after on September 27.
