Advanced Drainage Systems Joins the UN Global Compact

HILLIARD, Ohio, Aug. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) (NYSE: WMS), a leading provider of innovative water management solutions and one of the largest plastic recycling companies in North America, today announced that it has joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact initiative — a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible business practices.

Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 15,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 69 local networks. Joining the initiative is another step in ADS' commitment to operate its business responsibly — in alignment with universal sustainability principles, to take actions to support society, and to report annually on the company's ongoing efforts.

"Sustainability and protecting the environment are a core part of who we are as a company and how ADS operates its business. With this announcement, ADS is proud to join thousands of other companies worldwide committed to taking responsible business action to ensure quality of life in all communities and create the world we want," said Scott Barbour, ADS president and CEO. "At ADS, we produce the stormwater pipes, chambers and other sustainable and resilient solutions with high recycled content that capture, convey, store and treat our most precious resource: water. ADS is very much aligned with UN sustainability goals and is excited to join this global effort."

The UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world and a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The company has a longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and protection. In fiscal year 2023, ADS reduced its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 14% — the third consecutive year it cut greenhouse gas emissions intensity — and consumed 25% of recycled HDPE bottles (detergent and milk jugs, for instance) in the U.S. ADS also remains committed to the communities in which it operates. Last year, ADS contributed $4 million to charity, primarily through the ADS Foundation, which aims to lead the way for organizations and communities in preserving clean water, promoting recycling and advancing quality of life.