The National Recycling Coalition has named the top individuals and organizations within the recycling community to represent the industry in the 2008 Annual Awards Program at the 27th Annual Congress & Expo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the nation’s premier conference for recycling professionals.
“NRC’s award winners are a diverse group, from small nonprofits to global corporations, that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and have created innovative solutions that benefit society in many ways, including protecting the environment and contributing to our economy,” said David Refkin, President, NRC Board of Directors.
National Leadership Award: Senator Tom Carper (U.S. Senator for Delaware)
United States Senator Tom Carper of Delaware has long recognized the value in developing our nation’s strategic and sustainable response to resource conservation and global warming. As co-Chairman of the Senate Recycling Caucus since its inception, Senator Carper has been a champion for the recycling community on all pertinent matters before the Senate, and has provided extraordinary leadership in the development of legislation to support recycling and its many environmental and economic beliefs. We are most grateful for his singular efforts during the recent Senate debate on climate change legislation which ensured that the role of recycling in a carbon-constrained world was properly valued. The NRC proudly recognizes Senator Carper’s contributions to our nation, and to our global community, with its first National Leadership award.
Recycler of the Year: E. Gifford Stack (Santa Fe, NM)
A recycling professional since 1976, few have been as involved in recycling across the country, and as involved with NRC as E. Gifford Stack. Mr. Stack has extensive experience with solid waste management programs. He has developed waste paper recovery systems, directed the glass industry’s national recycling activities, sold recycling equipment, and created recycling programs for PET plastic beverage containers. Prior to joining NMED in 2001, Stack spent almost 14 years with the National Soft Drink Association (now the American Beverage Association) directing their environmental affairs program.
Outstanding Recycling Organization: Georgia Recycling Coalition (Atlanta, GA)
The Georgia Recycling Coalition (GRC) emphasizes the importance of waste reduction through education. Outreach and continuing education is an integral part of the organization, which strives to educate their membership and state about the most up-to-date education strategies and programming. The mission of the GRC is to complement and coordinate activities relative to recycling, to foster communications among professionals, organizations, government agencies and individuals, and to promote and enhance reduction and recycling programs throughout the state.
Tim McClure Award for Outstanding Environmental and Community Leadership: Ed Newman (Athens, Ohio)
Edward Newman’s career has been dedicated to continually raising the bar for solid waste minimization and diversion efforts on campus.
Since 1991, Newman has been the manager of OhioUniversity’s recycling and waste program. Through his leadership, the University has been recognized as one of the leading recyclers in the country. Newman, along with the sustainability coordinator at MiamiUniversity, formulated the idea of RecycleMania- a competition that pitted two Mid American Conference schools against each other during a 10 week competition to see which campus could recycle the most. Since it’s inception in 2001, RecycleMania has now grown into a nationwide program with more than 400 schools participating in the competition.
Beth Brown Boettner Award for Outstanding Public Education: Recycle M.O.R.E Minnesota Campaign (St. Paul, MN)
In order to increase recycling at home, away from home, and at work, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Recycling Association of Minnesota partnered to create the Recycle MORE Minnesota Campaign.
Informed by important market research, the team launched Recyclemoreminnestoa.org, a website providing timely and accurate information about recycling in the state.
Their education effort launched this year with a stateside radio and movie theater ad campaign. To help promote recycling education, the team created a downloadable toolkit (factsheets, ads clip art, etc) for stakeholders, local units of government, and others to use. Also, to help educate whole providing an opportunity to recycle, Recycle MORE purchased recycling bins with the Recycle MORE message for various events, programs, and locations.
Outstanding Community or Government Program: Centre County Solid Waste Authority (Centre County, PA)
Currently, the Authority employs 54 individuals; operates a transfer station, a recycling processing facility and a recycling collection system that uses nearly 200 haulers and includes curbside collection services to more than 22,000 households and more than 500 businesses in the country. Additionally, over 125 drop-off boxes are located throughout the 35 municipalities to provide recycling services to rural residents.
The Authority’s Recycling Processing Facility handles more than 12,000 tons of recyclables per year and provides tours to thousands of visitors per year.
Best Elected Recycling Leader: Todd Portune (Hamilton County, OH)
Since 2001, Commissioner Todd Portune has chaired the Hamilton Solid Waste Management District’s Policy Committee. Due to his strong support of the environment and recycling, Commissioner Portune has been instrumental in establishing the vision for the District, developing innovative recycling projects, expanding District programs, and promoting recycling and waste reduction throughout the County.
Commissioner Portune continues to challenge the District to develop new ways to increase the amount and types of materials diverted from the landfill. These programs include: initiating a RecycleBank pilot project, organizing a recycled-content latex paint manufacturing program, initiating a program where felled trees will be used in the construction of new schools, and expanding the District’s residential collection programs for materials such as computers and hazardous waste.
Fred Schmitt Award for Outstanding Corporate Leadership: Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies, Inc. (AERT) (Springdale, AR)
AERT has been awarded a series of patents relating to the technology for manufacturing wood and polyethylene composites. Founded in 1989, AERT develops, manufactures and markets composite building materials made from recycled polyethylene plastic and wood. These advanced composites can be used as an alternative to traditional wood products for exterior applications such as decking, trim, fencing, and door and window components. AERT’s decking products are distributed, sold, and used by many national companies such as the Weyerhaeuser, Lowe's Companies, Inc. and Therma-Tru Corporation, and are marketed under the trade names MoistureShield®, Weyerhaeuser ChoiceDek®, and LifeCycle®.
Outstanding K-12 School Program: City of San José Go Green Schools Program (San Jose, CA)
The City of San José Go Green Schools Program (SJGG) of the City’s Environmental Services Department fosters school recycling and environmental stewardship in a parent- and community-driven process. SJGG was launched in 2005, receiving permanent funding from the City beginning in 2006-2007. SJGG builds on the prior ten years of Environmental Services Department’s part-time recycling assistance to schools. The program serves as a schools environmental resource center, connecting over 100 of the 300 total K-12 San José schools with free recycling supplies and other green resources, encouraging them to green their schools at whatever level and pace they choose.
Through SJGG, 69 schools have developed recycling programs, and 45 schools have been awarded mini-grants. The program website, its online recycling supplies order process and Resource Directory, generated 30 new school recycling programs in the first three months.
Outstanding College or University Program: Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA)
Georgia Tech operates a comprehensive recycling program that provides collection opportunities for a variety of materials including: mixed office paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, mixed metal, pallets, plastic and tires at established collection sites and regular pick-ups for campus wide recycling.
This award-winning recycling program was started in 1997 with the hiring of Manager, Cindy Jackson. At its’ inception, the department’s primary function was to incorporate recycling, waste diversion and source reduction programs to Georgia Tech’s structure. Through recycling and other recovery programs, this office strives to make Georgia Tech a sustainable campus.
Outstanding Recycling Innovation: Eco Cycle – Zero Waste Event Kit (Boulder, CO)
Launched on Earth Day 2007, Eco-Cycle’s do-it-yourself Zero Waste Event Kit comes complete with compostable single-use tableware, compost collection bins, tips for Zero Waste entertaining, and educational signage and guidelines—everything needed to make a gathering at home or at work a waste-free event. The affordable, easy-to-use kit is ideal for events up to 250 people, such as business meetings, birthday parties, church gatherings, weddings, school events, family reunions and backyard barbecues. Since April 2007, Eco-Cycle has distributed 530 kits and diverted an estimated 21,492 pounds of compostable and recyclable materials from the landfill. In addition to the value of diverting compostable materials from the landfill, the kit also serves as an important outreach tool.