DALLAS – The Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s commitment to environmental sustainability and environmentally friendly practices goes beyond just Earth Day. The Exchange supports multiple sustainability initiatives across its stores, restaurants, facilities, logistics operations and more.
With more than 5,000 facilities serving 31 million authorized shoppers worldwide, the Exchange is dedicated to making military communities better places to live, work and shop.
“It takes a team effort to ensure the Exchange is a good steward of our environment,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “These initiatives are vital to the Quality-of-Life of service members and their families.”
Exchange operations recycle nearly 7,000 tons of plastic, aluminum and cardboard annually. In 2022-2023, the Exchange retrofitted 610 facilities on 145 CONUS installations by replacing 465,000 fluorescent lamps with new tubular LEDs (TLEDs) and replaced over 35,500 electronic ballasts reducing lighting energy by 56% and saving the Exchange over $3.5 million annually.
The Exchange is also reducing water usage by 30% annually with low-flow faucets in all renovations and new construction projects. Building designs are geared to sustainability standards carrying DoD-approved third-party certification. Since 2010, Exchange shoppers have enjoyed a 5-cent credit per reusable bag they use in stores, reducing single-use plastics.
Whether shopping at PXs, BXs or at ShopMyExchange.com, military shoppers can find sustainable and environmentally-friendly products in a range of categories. Sustainable apparel manufactured with less water and recycled materials are available from national brands like Columbia, Levi’s and The North Face. Laundry detergents for use with high-efficiency machines and eco-friendly, biodegradable cleaning supplies are also common options.
The Exchange’s logistics operations, which includes the 14th-largest private retail fleet in the U.S. and 10 worldwide distribution centers, recycle nearly 300 gallons of oil, 1,100 tires and 300 batteries annually. Exchange fleet trucks are fitted with trailer skirts, aluminum wheels, automatic transmissions, self-inflating tires and optimized idle systems to increase efficiency and lower fuel consumption. State-of-the-art GPS helps optimize truck routes, reducing fuel usage and reducing “empty miles.”
All these initiatives not only reduce the Exchange’s environmental impact but increase earnings that support critical on-installation Quality-of-Life programs such as outfitting 600,000 Warfighters at cost annually, providing school meal support for Department of Defense Education Activity facilities overseas and delivering needed services to locations impacted by natural disasters. In the last 10 years, the Exchange has provided $3.5 billion in earnings to these programs.
Social-media-friendly version: The Army & Air Force Exchange Service makes it Earth Day every day with sustainability initiatives and environmentally friendly practices. Learn more: https://wp.me/p9Q7PG-2FJ
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Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 54th-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the last 10 years, your Exchange benefit has provided $3.5 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families in conjunction with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at http://www.shopmyexchange.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ExchangePAO.
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Media Notes:
For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Travis Day, 214-312-3534 or [email protected].
Follow the Exchange:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shopmyexchange
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopmyexchange
Instagram: @shopmyexchange