May 29, 2026
Key Points:
- UL Solutions, ULRI and ULSE mobilized more than 900 employees for Earth Week 2026 events, supporting global environmental cleanup and local impact.
- During the Together for a Safer Planet campaign, volunteers led dozens of events, including litter removal, habitat restoration and community sustainability projects in 19 global regions.
- The campaign highlighted the three UL organizations’ commitment to environmental stewardship and their shared mission of working for a safer world.
Hundreds of UL Solutions employees joined their colleagues from UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) for volunteer efforts to help protect the environment in recognition of Earth Week 2026.
From restoring natural spaces and collecting litter to supporting local environmental sustainability efforts, employees from the three organizations took collective action during the Together for a Safer Planet campaign.
Now in its second year, the campaign brought together volunteers to support environmental causes and organizations around the globe. The collaborative efforts demonstrated the three organizations’ shared mission of working for a safer world.
“Earth Week continues to be a powerful example of how our employees come together with a shared commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Tina Vaughn, senior manager of community affairs and engagement for ULRI and ULSE. “These actions are one way to demonstrate our shared mission at work — driving meaningful progress toward safer, more sustainable communities.”
Improving Local Communities Around the World
More than 900 employees participated worldwide in the campaign, which included over 50 volunteer events, with 10 events bringing together colleagues from all three UL organizations.
A few highlights of these joint volunteer activities in April included the following:
- Garden restoration with Evanston Grows and litter cleanup with Climate Action Evanston. Both organizations are based in Evanston, Illinois, and are recipients of ULRI-ULSE’s and Northwestern University’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations’ Sustainable Communities Grant Program.
- Waste cleanup along busy roadways in Durham, North Carolina, with the state’s Adopt-A-Highway program.
- Urban gardening and waste-sorting projects with Pacto con la Tierra in Mexico City.
- ULSE employees in Canada created recycled bottle planters from take-home kits, which they used to plant seeds from various flowers and herbs.
Volunteers also participated in numerous waterway cleanups, including the following:
- At Chicago’s Oak Street Beach, volunteers kept 450 pieces of plastic out of Lake Michigan and collected 2,000 pieces of trash.
- A team in Germany removed waste from the riverside in Krefeld.
- A team in Florida practiced shoreline and oyster bed restoration techniques to protect the Indian River Lagoon.
Additional activities took place in Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
“Participating in the Together for a Safer Planet campaign is one of many ways that employees can help improve the local community and protect the planet,” said Jean Venegas, social impact specialist at UL Solutions. “At all three UL organizations, employees participate in volunteer events throughout the year, allowing people to support causes that are meaningful to them.”
Advancing Environmental Stewardship and Community Safety
The campaign highlighted the close connections between environmental health, community safety, and quality of life, which resonate deeply across the three UL organizations. Whether restoring habitats, supporting sustainable food systems or assisting community organizations, volunteers saw firsthand how collective action can create lasting benefits.
“Earth Week is a great opportunity for communities to invest time together building up and healing their environment. It’s also a chance for us to slow down and really see what surrounds us,” said Grace Kho, standards project manager at ULSE. “Taking a few hours to clean the streets served as a helpful reminder that there is always more we can do to make the world a safer and healthier place.”
Powered by Collaboration and a Deep Commitment to a Safer Planet
The strong participation in combined events underscored how collaboration across ULRI, ULSE and UL Solutions strengthens both employee engagement and community outcomes.
“Earth Week brought our mission to life in the best way, bringing people together across organizations to care for our environment and our community,” said Sara Williams, director of engineering at ULRI’s Material Discovery Research Institute. “Volunteering side by side to clean up the MDRI neighborhood strengthened teamwork, sparked new connections and made a positive local impact we can all be proud of.”
From North America to Asia Pacific, the Together for a Safer Planet campaign demonstrated the three organizations’ ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility and community partnership. Through hands-on volunteerism and cross-organizational collaboration, employees brought the mission of working for a safer world to life — one community, one project and one shared effort at a time.
Three Organizations with a Shared Mission
Each of the three UL organizations has a distinct focus. UL Research Institutes advances safety science by sensing risk and conducting rigorous independent research that accelerates discoveries.
UL Standards & Engagement mobilizes that powerful science into action through advocacy and standards.
UL Solutions brings safety science to life, helping businesses confidently solve pressing safety, security and sustainability challenges and innovate new solutions and technologies.