Ceres Terminals Incorporated's Personal Best For Mother Earth: Earth Week 2012

Taking part in NYK’s Global Celebration of Earth Week, Ceres Terminals Incorporated actively participated in making a difference to save our Planet and the Environment. Ceres joined the more than one billion people in 192 countries who took part in the Earth Day Activities to save Mother Earth.

Dan Hall, Ceres SVP North America Operations and René Hayes, Environmental Manager, challenged all of Ceres’ North America office locations and port terminal managers and staff to take an active role in activities for Earth Week 2012 and reinforce Ceres’ Top-Down Commitment to the Environment.

Every Ceres employee was given a personal challenge to examine their work areas and email three ideas that could be used to improve or help the Environment by making small changes in day-to-day activities. They were to be mindful of Energy Consumption, Water, Land, and Air Pollution.

Some of the suggested ideas for Ceres’ Port Activities were:

1. Organize cleanup of the Shore Area of waterway and/or entire Port.

2. Organize/Participate in local park event, plant trees, clean up evasive plants, pick-up trash, etc.

3. Organize an E-Cycle Collection Site where old electronics could be properly recycled.

4. Initiate an official Office Recycling Program.

5. Don’t drive. Use public transportation, a bicycle or walk whenever possible.

6. Get involved!

Seventeen Ceres locations participated in Earth Week 2012 Activities. As an added incentive, an Earth Day Activity Contest was created and judged by Ceres Port Managers for creativity. The successful results were as follows:

First Place

Doug Wolfe, Port Manager

Ceres Marine Terminals, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland

Educated students of Emmorton Elementary School in Bel Air, Maryland on the importance of trees and their environmental benefits. Ceres donated 600 Colorado blue spruce seedlings for planting. The Ceres Earth Day Team spoke to the kindergarten classes, answered questions by the students and handed out seedlings that had planting instructions and facts on a tree’s importance to the Environment. Scott Senko of NYK joined in and acted as the Team Photographer.

2nd Place

Tim Touzet, Port Manager

Ceres Marine Terminals, Inc., Port Canaveral, Florida

Displayed Ceres’ new, Electric Car at the Manatee Elementary School. The car reduces dependency on oil and collective carbon footprint. Ceres educated students on the importance of the zero emissions concept as well as the importance of plant life and its positive effects on the Environment.

They also helped plant 100 trees and plants with the students.

3nd Place

Jeff White, Port Manager

Ceres Marine Terminals, Inc., Port Everglades, Florida

To reduce our CO2 footprint, all Ceres employees were required to walk instead of ride for a week. Ceres supervisors were restricted from using terminal golf carts and personal vehicles on the cruise terminal piers. A “Dirty Sock” Contest was also conducted. Ceres’ employees placed a new, white sock over the exhaust pipe of their personal vehicle. The employees started their engines and let idle for one minute. The socks were turned inside‐out and inspected. Mario Tabraue had the cleanest sock and was awarded a free lunch certificate for proper engine maintenance. Philip Hughes’ car had the dirtiest sock and was awarded a free oil change to help reduce emissions.

In addition to the winners, all of Ceres North America office locations participated in local Earth Day Activities. Ceres’ Corporate Headquarters in East Brunswick, New Jersey implemented iPay, a paperless payroll system for all Ceres full time employees while other Ceres offices participated in Port E-Recycling, set-up recycling electronic pick-up centers and conducted seminars focusing on sustainable and active waste reduction and improving air quality.

Ceres Terminals Incorporated is one of the largest stevedores and marine terminal operators in North America. Established in 1958, Ceres has grown to encompass operations in major ports in the United States and Canada. Ceres Terminals Incorporated operates as a stand-alone company in the Harbour Division of the NYK Group. Ceres Environmental Management System is active and audited. Ceres adheres to the same environmental standards and policies as its Parent Company, NYK.