Hunter issues social responsibility report

Hunter Industries, an irrigation, landscape lighting and custom molding manufactuer, released its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. Researchers spent more than a year measuring Hunter's seven major social and environmental impacts: climate change and energy, water use, product responsibility, waste, community, employees and human rights in supply chain. These measurements will provide internal and external stakeholders with a glimpse inside Hunter's operations, and an understanding of what they are working toward as an organization, according to a released statement.

The report shows that Hunter's employee population is healthier in 2012 than they were in 2011 and the company was successful in returning 3 acres of disturbed environment to native habitat at its corporate headquarters. It also assisted Hunter decision makers to set the goals of a 90% diversion rate of waste to landfill by 2017, surveying its top 40 suppliers on human rights by 2013 and increasing its supervisors' leadership and management training to 8 hours per year by 2014.

"We have long been aware of our impact on the irrigation industry and the landscape industry in general," said Ann Hunter-Welborn, chair of Hunter's board of directors. "Now we have an opportunity to improve the quality of our impact on the environment. We not only commit to using water wisely, we intend to make the best use of all resources. This is a heavy responsibility and this - our first report - is our baseline, providing a great deal of information on which we can immediately act."

Water use and biodiversity are part of Hunter's corporate social responsibility report.