ShelterBox’s sustainability measures

“Climate change is already a humanitarian crisis, and at ShelterBox, we see its devastating impact around the world because it makes extreme events like droughts, floods, tropical storms, and conflict situations even worse,” said Kerri Murray, President of ShelterBoxUSA.

Some of the sustainable initiatives underway at ShelterBox include:

• Reducing the use of plastics in aid items. We have made significant strides to reduce single-use plastics, removing hundreds of thousands of plastic pieces per year from the packaging of our kitchen sets, water jugs, shelter kits, and clothing. We are leading change in the sector by prompting our suppliers to reconsider how their items are packed and encouraging more partners to ditch plastic packaging.
• Utilizing local procurement and sourcing of shelter and aid items in the communities we are working to serve. In Ukraine, we enlisted local companies to make hygiene kids. We source high-quality aid items, from corrugated iron to wood to mud bricks.
• Minimizing freight distances and avoiding air transport as much as possible. We pre-position aid items in areas where we are likely to respond that are now endemic to disasters. In Philippines, ShelterBox has thousands of shelter kits ready to respond effectively and efficiently when disasters, especially typhoons, strike.
• Recycling and reusing the items used in shipping. Our recent 2023 earthquake response in Morocco created many opportunities to put this concept into practice.
  • The wood pallets that ShelterBox used for packaging in the supply chain were recycled and provided to the affected families to use as bed frames. The pallets kept the mattresses, blankets and pillows ShelterBox provided off the soggy ground.
  • Plastics components from the response were recycled into pellets, then used to create kitchen ware, bottles for cleaning supplies and trash bags.

ShelterBox has helped almost three million people worldwide, is rated 100 percent on Charity Navigator and was twice considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. ShelterBox President Kerri Murray is available for interviews.

Media Contact:  Paul Vercammen, Communications Director Ph. 323 646 4315