Swedish furniture giant IKEA's Grand Prairie outpost has bagged the 2024 Ebby Halliday & Maurice Acers Business/Industry Award, a hefty nod from Keep Texas Beautiful for their eco-friendly initiatives and community service efforts. IKEA's local branch stood out by rallying their employees to roll up their sleeves for Grand Prairie's Big Event Day of Service and Adopt-a-Stream program, tackling the noble tasks of aiding the elderly with outdoor work and cleaning up their waterways, according to the City of Grand Prairie, Texas.
It's not just about the short-lived buzz of a cleanup day. IKEA Grand Prairie has instilled practices like the Furniture Buy Back Program and the As-Is section to promote the recycling of their modern-designed goods. They've gone the extra mile creating a drop-off point for Grand Prairie's Solid Waste Department during the Christmas season to transform old trees into mulch, available free of charge for locals to use. To stamp its commitment to sustainability, the store is topped with 2,870 solar panels and offers electric vehicle charging stations for the tree hugger in all of us.
According to the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, Suzanne Kho, Executive Director of Keep Texas Beautiful, praised the Swedish retailer saying, “We are proud to honor and recognize Texans who are making a difference in our state. Their actions do more than protect the environment: they inspire community members to get involved and help us keep Texas beautiful.” The accolades will be formally presented at the annual KTB conference, celebrating those Texans who lead the way to a greener and more inclusive state.
Since its inception back in 1967, Keep Texas Beautiful has stood as a beacon, guiding Texans toward a vision of a cleaner, more vibrant state, and IKEA Grand Prairie has become part of that legacy, doing their fair share and more for the environment and society at large. To see the full list of award winners or to get a glimpse of how you might make your mark, the Keep Texas Beautiful website is your starting point, and you can follow the non-profit's social footprint on platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. IKEA meanwhile continues to tout its global philosophy right here in the heart of Texas, offering up affordable home comforts while conscientiously keeping an eye on Mother Nature's wellbeing – their company profile and eco-journey can be tracked across their social media avenues and their official U.S. website.
