DEERFIELD, IL — Baxter International employees in 25 countries ventured out into their communities this summer to plant gardens and gathered internally to learn about the ways in which they could lighten their environmental footprints.  

The activities were part of a weeklong event held by the company for the first time to coincide with World Environment Week, the results of which the company publicly announced today. According to the company, more than 200 activities took place during the first week of June, involving more than 70 facilities around the globe.  

In North America, workers in Cuernavaca, Mexico, learned about energy efficient products they could use in their homes to cut electricity use, including solar water heaters. Chicago employees lent a hand to a local elementary school for the design and installation of a rain garden.  

On the other side of the globe, employees in Hoechstadt, Germany, were given incentives to encourage low-carbon commuting, such as carpooling, biking, walking or public transportation. Chinese employees received seeds for plants and flowers, with encouragement to share photos of the growing plants.  

Baxter also touted a handful of sustainability-related accomplishments today, including environmental efforts in Brazil to conserve water. The company's rooftop evaporation system, for example, cools the roof of a Brazilian facility by using wastewater, which saves about $25,000 in energy costs annually.  

The company also won a transport and logistics award from the International Transport Forum, European Association for Forwarding Transport Logistics and Customs, and International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations for using inland waterways to transport goods through parts of Belgium and the Netherlands, which cuts freight costs by roughly 40 percent and reduces fuel use about 80 percent compared to ground freight.

Summer Seedlings — Image CC licensed by DrStarbuck.