Hearing about automakers trying to go green is no new thing, but GM has found a way to make its efforts a little more diversified by turning shipping crates into large planter boxes. The Cadillac Urban Gardens on Merritt is a community project that has taken 250 shipping creates form GM’s Orion Assembly plant and created a local community garden in a once-abandoned parking lot.
The project was a major joint effort between GM and many local companies. The dirt that fills the planters is supplied Detroit Dirt. Detroit Dirt’s soil is made with help from Detroit Zoo which donates animal manure, Astro Café which donates used coffee grounds and food scraps from the Marriot Hotel in GM’s world headquarters.
“Our mission is to create a space that promotes the health and security of our community,” said Frank Venegas, Ideal Group chairman. “Cadillac Urban Gardens is producing vegetables, community health and growth. ”
Families looking for invitations to participate should seek out local community partners like the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation and the Southwest Detroit Business Association and Community Health and Social Services.
Thanks to some sideways thinking GM has managed to reduce waste, while positively impacting the community around it.
