Blue Ridge Bankshares, the holding company of Blue Ridge Bank and BRB Financial Group, intends to phase out single-use plastics as part of its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2040. This policy will transition the company away from single-use plastic items such as beverage bottles, utensils, straws, food service ware and other materials by the end of 2024. The company also launched an internal campaign to boost its recycling efforts.
According to Blue Ridge Bank, it is one of only nine banks in the United States and the first in Virginia to commit to environmental sustainability through the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (the NZBA). The NZBA is an industry-led, UN-convened alliance of banks committed to aligning lending and investment portfolios with net-zero emissions.
“Plastic consumption and waste have a meaningful and sustained negative impact on our environment,” Brian K. Plum, president and CEO of Blue Ridge Bankshares, said. “Phasing out single-use plastics and strengthening our recycling efforts is a quick way to establish an important win as we continue elevating our carbon-reduction work. We are committed to continued adaptation, innovation and improvement of business practices to attain our carbon-reduction efforts on, and hopefully before, schedule.”
