Light rain this morning with thunderstorms by evening. High around 80F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..
Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low 72F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Metallix Technology Director Claudio Ferrini and Metallix CEO Maria Piastre pose with the bags of debris collected from around River Park North during Keeping the Green in Greenville day on Monday.
Metallix workers clear invasive plant species and underbrush during Keeping the Green in Greenville day at River Park North on Monday, July 18.
Josh Arnold and Afiz Lateef work together to pull a large tire out of the pond as Micahia King, left, pulls their kayake to shore during Keeping the Green in Greenville day at River Park North on Monday, July 18.
Riverside Recreation's Micahia King pushes a kayake out onto the pond during Keeping the Green in Greenville day at River Park North on Monday, July 18.
Josh Arnold and others use kayakes to explore and collect trash from a pond at River Park North during Keeping the Green in Greenville day on Monday.
Metallix Technology Director Claudio Ferrini and Metallix CEO Maria Piastre pose with the bags of debris collected from around River Park North during Keeping the Green in Greenville day on Monday.
Metallix workers clear invasive plant species and underbrush during Keeping the Green in Greenville day at River Park North on Monday, July 18.
Josh Arnold and Afiz Lateef work together to pull a large tire out of the pond as Micahia King, left, pulls their kayake to shore during Keeping the Green in Greenville day at River Park North on Monday, July 18.
Riverside Recreation's Micahia King pushes a kayake out onto the pond during Keeping the Green in Greenville day at River Park North on Monday, July 18.
Josh Arnold and others use kayakes to explore and collect trash from a pond at River Park North during Keeping the Green in Greenville day on Monday.
A refinery shutdown seldom comes as good news, but a one-day voluntary closure of the Metallix Greenville Processing Facility on Monday was viewed as a win for the community and the environment.
The company took a day off from silver and gold to focus on green, hosting “Keep the Green in Greenville” at River Park North. Instead of reporting for work, about 100 employees and their families spent hours volunteering at Mumford Road park, where their efforts helped to clear about 1,000 pounds of litter and invasive plants.
“We shut it down and we all come and participate cleaning the community,” said Chief Executive Officer Maria Piastre, who made the trip from Metallix’s New Jersey corporate office to Greenville for the event. “We’re very passionate about protecting the environment.”
It was the second annual environmental stewardship day for the 54-year-old company, which recycles and refines materials containing gold, silver, platinum, palladium and rhodium. Last June, Metallix took part in World Ocean Day along the Washington, N.C., waterfront in conjunction with the North Carolina Estuarium.
For both events, the company teamed up with with Love a Sea Turtle, a Pitt County-based environmental stewardship and youth development organization. While Metallix is a longtime financial supporter of LAST, it was not until 2021 that the two joined forces to complete a community project.
Nina Peele, who works in precious metals purchasing for Metallix, helped to make the introduction. Her son, Christopher, has been a volunteer with LAST for about a decade.
After learning more about the nonprofit, Piastre, whose son also joined Monday’s volunteer effort, approached LAST about working together to achieve common environmental goals.
“I love them,” she said. “It’s great to get their guidance and their knowledge of the wildlife and nature here to see how we can help. We followed their lead.”
For the River Park North project, a LAST volunteer was assigned to each group of Metallix workers to help identify areas of concern. Groups of volunteers, some accompanied by park employees, set out on foot or in kayaks in search of discarded fishing line and other litter as well as invasive plants such as lespedeza cuneata, sometimes called Chinese lespedeza or sericea
A perennial herb and broad-leaf annual weed, sericea is native to Asia and Australia. It was first planted in North Carolina in the late 1800s in an effort to control erosion and as forage for livestock. But the plant, which reaches up to 6 feet tall, is generally considered unpalatable to livestock and most native wildlife. It also can chemically inhibit the growth of other plants.
“They’re taking over a lot of land,” said Greyson Graham, a LAST member and recent graduate of South Central High School. “They’re taking over a lot of nutrients, so taking those plants out will allow our native plants to grow better.”
LAST volunteer Jae Yoon, a rising senior at D.H. Conley High School, said lespedeza cuneata has become quite common at River Park North, a 324-acre park along the Tar River.
“It’s actually all over the place,” Yoon said. “You don’t really realize it because they look like normal weeds, but they’re actually really invasive to our ecosystem.”
Jaeyoon Kim, rising senior at Conley, worked for about two hours to clear a park trail of not only invasive plants but plastics. Kim, who moved to Greenville last year from South Korea, became involved with LAST while working to launch a battery-recycling effort at area high schools.
“It’s illegal in South Korea to throw away your batteries in a trash can,” he said, adding that he estimates that placing bins in area schools will enable thousands of batteries to be recycled.
At Monday’s event, Metallix gave away canvas bags and reusable water bottles in an effort to keep plastic out of the landfill.
Gustavo Salazar, a precious metal buyer with Metallix, pointed to a water bottle refilling station the company donated to River Park North as evidence of its commitment. The station, located near the park’s main picnic shelter, has a lower section designed to provide water for dogs that come to the park with their owners. Other company efforts include adopting Industrial Boulevard, where the refinery is located, and picking up litter alongside the road several times a year.
Rona Durborow, environmental compliance specialist for Metallix, said environmental stewardship events are starting to have an effect on the company’s culture.
“Each time we’ve done something like this, somebody has learned something,” she said. “I’m starting to hear people mention litter and environmental issues more. I think they’re taking what they learn at the refinery and at these events and I think they’re applying it at home as well.”
Although Metallix is located only about 2 miles from River Park North, Peele said some employees had never been there. Monday’s event, which included a fishing derby, music, food and inflatable attractions, drew about 200 volunteers, including employees and their children.
Isabella Daniel, a rising senior at Conley, was happy with the turnout.
“It’s very motivating,” she said. “It’s really nice to see all these people come out. I think a lot of companies give you money, but having people come out to help is so important.”
Piastre said the company, which has a tradition of giving to various charities at Christmas, plans to add an environmental stewardship day to its annual calendar of events.
“We love Greenville,” she said. “This is our home. We want to protect it. This is the least we can do for the community. We think that it all starts at home, so that’s what we’re doing here.”
Contact Kim Grizzard at kgrizzard@reflector.com or call 252-329-9578.
www.Reflector.com 1150 Sugg Pkwy Greenville, NC 27834 Main Phone: 252-329-9500 Customer Care Phone: 252-329-9505
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