PADNOS Boosts Forum’s Future with $35K Donation

Michigan Sustainable Business Forum will be embarking on a new strategic planning process thanks to the support of one of its founding members.  PADNOS, the largest industrial recycler in Michigan celebrated Earth Day 2026 with a $35,000 donation to the Forum to support board training and the facilitation of its 2030 strategic plan.  

Launched in 1994 as the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum – a vital arm of West Michigan Environmental Action Council – the organization evolved into an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2009, updating its mission and name in 2023 to better reflect its statewide footprint.  This will be the first strategic planning process for the organization since expanding its board of directors to include representatives from across the state’s lower peninsula and northern Indiana.  

“Michigan Sustainable Business Forum has been a tremendous partner and resource for PADNOS since its inception, and we’re eager to see the impact our donation will have on its vision and initiatives,” said Kari Bliss, Principal Sustainability at PADNOS and Vice Chair of MiSBF.

PADNOS is a founding member of the Forum.  The company has been a central figure in the organization’s success over the past decade, guiding the development of the Forum’s landmark circular economy studies in 2014 and 2024, “Economic Impact Potential and Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in Michigan.”  PADNOS staff also chaired the Forum’s scholarship golf outing for more than a decade, helping to distribute more than $100,000 in scholarships to local universities.  

Shelley Padnos, a third-generation family member who currently serves as Chair of PADNOS’s Executive Committee, was recently inducted into its Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame in 2023. 

“This generous gift from PADNOS comes as our organization approaches a crossroads and a historic opportunity to create a more sustainable Michigan for residents and businesses alike,” said Daniel Schoonmaker, Executive Director of MiSBF.  “As Michigan’s environmental and legal landscape evolves, we are eager to meet the moment and define a roadmap that will maximize the benefits to our member organizations and support the creation of a truly circular and low-carbon economy for our state.”

PADNOS also continued its Earth Day tradition of collaborating with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization dedicated to global reforestation and the restoration of degraded landscapes. 

The Forum will announce its strategic planning partner in June as it begins engaging members and regional stakeholders in the process.