Sustainability
Our Sustainability Efforts
SCI believes in the responsible use of resources to reduce adverse impacts on the communities in which we live and operate. An awareness of sustainability will be maintained as we look for opportunities to improve our end-to-end supply chain processes.
Energy Management
We understand our company footprint comes with responsibilities to monitor and evaluate our use of natural resources and its potential impact on the environment. In order to accurately track and measure our energy usage, we began implementing a utility usage reporting solution in 2021 to capture consumption across our 1,900+ locations. This new system and process will assist us with building an energy management program and is focused on our natural gas, electricity and water usage.
Expanding Our Water Reclamation Efforts
We support water recycling and reclamation efforts for converting wastewater into a reusable resource. This process benefits ecosystems, improves stream flow, nourishes plant life and recharges aquifers, all as a part of the natural water cycle. In addition to our reclamation efforts, we are piloting water conservation technologies at many of our cemeteries.
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
We are evaluating our carbon footprint through the examination of processes within our business. Our fleet consists of approximately 6,500 vehicles, which includes funeral procession vehicles such as limousines and hearses, as well as trucks, vans, and cars for sales and operations associates. We plan to continue increasing the number of fuel-efficient vehicles in our fleet and are advancing our green initiatives by piloting electric cargo vehicles in select locations.
We believe in continuing to preserve local environments and to offer natural habitat areas at many of our cemeteries. We manage approximately 35,500 acres of land, most of which is green space within our cemeteries that provides families a natural and peaceful environment to grieve the loss of their loved ones. As our cemeteries often serve as community parks in certain urban areas, we believe these open green spaces make a valuable environmental contribution to help reduce concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Environmentally-Friendly Products and Services
We recognize the importance of integrating innovative solutions that are beneficial to the environment and offer families the opportunity to honor their loved ones with green, biodegradable products at many of our locations. 8% of our product sales of caskets and urns comes from eco-friendly or biodegradable products that families have selected. Furthermore, with the purchase of select caskets, families may request a tree to be planted in a national forest. SCI’s casket purchases contribute to approximately 30,000 tree plantings per year.
Partnering with Ethical Suppliers
Our Supplier Code of Conduct reflects our values, ensuring our suppliers have safe working conditions and that their associates are treated fairly and with respect. We also encourage responsible and environmentally friendly production processes.
We are committed to creating a supply chain of local, diverse and qualified suppliers and continue to foster an inclusive procurement approach engaging businesses owned by minorities, females and veterans.