Modern Disposal provides Earth Day cleanup in Lewiston

By Michael DePietro

Tribune Editor

On Saturday, April 17, Modern Disposal Services employees and their family members celebrated Earth Day by helping to make sure the surrounding community looked its best heading into spring.

Crews accompanied by Modern trucks helped clean up trash and winter debris along Model City Road and Route 104. The cleanup team extended along Center Street and into the Village of Lewiston.

“This is what we do everyday for the communities around Western New York,” said Modern CEO Michael P. McInerney who was among the volunteers, accompanied by his wife, Tracey. “Today in honor of Earth Day, we’re here making sure the community looks beautiful. This was an idea that germinated from our employees. They came to us and said, ‘Hey, we’d like to do something nice for our community on Earth Day. So we set it up today, and we’ve got over 50 volunteers – employees; family members – out here donating their time to clean up the community that we work and live in,” McInerney said.

“We’ve got different crews going all the way down Route 104 – We’ve got everyone from moms and daughters and sons. It’s very great to see everyone who has come out today. Very, very proud of our team and what they do for the community. We’re really proud how many signed up and we look forward to making this an annual Earth Day event.”

The sentiment was shared by Jack Manly, Modern’s director of sales and marketing.

“We’re pleased to be a part of the community, and we always look for opportunities to give back to the Town and the Village of Lewiston,” he said. “We hope we’re leading by example. We would hope that everybody would take the opportunity to do something for our planet. It’s the only one we’ve got and this is what we do and, as Mike said, we’re out here having fun and little bit of camaraderie; getting to know all the employees a little bit better outside of work and we’re having a good time.”

Although this was an in-company event, Manley said he hopes the company’s efforts serve as a reminder to others to not only show pride in their community, but to show a willingness to protect the environment.

“Just do your part. Respect our environment. Be environmentally conscious in all decisions and it’s gonna benefit everybody,” he said.

With facilities in Model City, Blasdell and on Elk Street in Buffalo, along with operations in Niagara Falls and Smithville, Ontario, Modern has more than 14,000 commercial customers and 300,000 residential customers.