Green Heron Compost Supports First Responders Charity

Here at Green Heron Compost, we want to reuse 5-gallon bins whenever possible so we often acquire them from many different places like restaurants, paint stores, recycling centers, and even sometimes dumpster diving. It is very important to us that we recycle as much as possible to reduce our environmental impacts as a company. However, we also aim to give back in other ways.

Recently, we were presented with an opportunity to reuse some recycled buckets, but also give back to individuals in our community who keep us safe. Firehouse Subs, a nationwide sandwich chain sells their empty 5-gallon pickle buckets for $3 each. This money doesn’t go into the pockets of the franchise owners, but instead, is donated to the charity Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. 

According to the website, this charity was founded in 2005 following the devastation of hurricane Katrina. The organization provides lifesaving equipment and needed resources to first responders and public safety organizations through a system of grants that fire, rescue, and police departments can apply for. The departments use the grant money to purchase resources like Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and to fund education and training projects.

To repurpose the Firehouse buckets for composting, we spend plenty of time cleaning the bins to eliminate the strong smell of pickles and prep them for painting. Once they are painted white and branded with the Green Heron Compost tag, they are ready to be sent off to the homes of our new customers. For those who receive these buckets, they might have a faint smell of pickles and the red of the original bucket peeking through.

Although the repurposed buckets look more like a Picasso than a Rembrandt, the beauty is in the lifesaving resources that are provided to our first responders. In the Knoxville, TN area, there are many departments who benefit from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grants.

Here are some examples of lifesaving resources purchased by our local departments:

• The Knox County Sheriff’s Office used the funds to purchase 5 new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
• The Knoxville Police Department also used the funds to purchase 5 new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
• The Tennessee Wildfires Disaster Relief funded disaster relief support projects
• The American Red Cross of East Tennessee was able to fund disaster relief projects, 111 pieces of equipment, and 72 prevention education materials and projects
• The Blount County Sheriff’s Department used the funds to purchase a new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
• The Blount County Fire Protection District used the funds to purchase 4 thermal imaging cameras
• The Blount County Rescue Squad used the funds to purchase 4 new carbon monoxide detectors

For more examples, visit the Community Impact Map.

At Green Heron Compost, we are honored to be stewards of the environment by recycling materials, but we are also grateful for the hard work of our first responders. It is our pleasure to give back to these brave individuals by purchasing buckets for their benefit. For every red bin our customers receive, $3 goes directly to this fund.

Thank you very much to all of our customers who use our compost pickup services and thank you to all of our first responders in the Knoxville area who work to keep us safe and healthy.