Business, government honored for waste reduction and recycling

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - May 17, 2001

01-083, 01-084 and 01-085

Business, government honored for waste reduction and recycling

OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has honored three businesses and three government entities for their efforts to reduce and recycle waste.

The awards are issued each year to private industry and federal and local government agencies in Washington that make significant contributions to recycling and creative waste management.

Applicants for the awards must demonstrate they have successful, innovative programs, facilities and activities.

"The programs these businesses and facilities create and carry out are a large part of Washington's journey toward reaching its waste-reduction and recycling goals," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "Working together, we can promote both economic vitality and a healthy environment far into the future."

With these awards, the Ecology Department can thank them for their dedication and hard work on reduction, re-use and responsible disposal, Fitzsimmons said.

This year, the awards were given to A-1 Builders, Inc., for the best small-business program (under 100 employees); Albertson's, for best large-business program (more than 100 employees); Kitsap County's Solid-Waste Division, for best large-government program (population more than 75,000); and the U.S. Naval Air Station at Whidbey Island, for best federal facility. The special-recognition award was given to King County's Solid-Waste Division and to Radiance Herbs and Massage of Olympia for achievement in areas related to waste-prevention, reduction and recycling that are not addressed by the other categories.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Curtis Durrant, waste-reduction and recycling specialist in Spokane, 509-456-6370
Shelly McClure, waste-reduction and recycling specialist in Olympia, 360-407456-6370
Peter Christiansen, solid-waste specialist in Bellevue, 425-649-7076
Caitlin Cormier, public information officer, 360-407-6149; pager, 360-971-5536

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is information on the winning companies statewide.

Albertson's: Albertson's recycles a long list of items, including cardboard, plastic shrink wrap, plastic grocery bags, bakery buckets, used cooking oil, meat and bone scraps, single use cameras, printer cartridges, metal scrap, wooden-pallet scrap, used computer and electronic equipment, oil, and antifreeze. On a national scale, Albertson's recycled 318,000 tons of cardboard, saving $27 million in disposal costs and generating $30 million in recycling revenues.

Radiance Herbs and Massage: Radiance Herbs and Massage, of Olympia, recognizes that one of its jobs is the ethical and conscientious selection of products and services. The store offers hundreds of herbs, teas, spices, pot-pourris and body-care products in bulk. It communicates with its product suppliers to reduce over-packaging and make sure that existing packaging is recyclable. The store recycles 80 percent of its waste by volume and prevents waste by offering bulk products.

A-1 Builders, Inc: A-1 Builders, of Bellingham, is a full-service building/remodeling company with a very strong environmental ethic. Contracts with clients include avoiding the use of scarce, irreplaceable or endangered resources, creating healthy spaces, efficiently using energy and water, and selecting building materials that generate the least amount of pollution and protect natural habitats. The construction division diverts waste during demolition and construction for re-use and recycling.

Kitsap County: The Kitsap County Solid Waste Division had the foresight to plan for the waste that would accumulate once the state's permanent burn ban went into effect at the end of 2000. It implemented a public education campaign called "Alternatives to Outdoor Burning." The county offered the following alternatives to outdoor burning: curbside recycling of yard debris in all burn-ban areas, yard debris collection at drop-box locations, and home composting education and outreach.

Whidbey Island: The U.S. Naval Air Station at Whidbey Island continues to expand its program and test new ideas to reduce the amount of waste heading to landfills. In June 2000, the "Navy Whidbey Recycle" program began operating the Navy's first composting facility that uses a forced-air system to speed the process within a large in-vessel container. Within the first three months, 150 tons of organic material were diverted from landfills. The facility expects to increase its composting to 1,800 tons annually.

King County: King County's Solid Waste Division, working in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities, sponsored a recovery program to address the lack of re-use and recycling opportunities for electronic equipment, especially computers. The computer-recovery project is a network of computer-repair and resale shops, local non-profit groups, computer retailers and government agencies that offered 34 locations where residents and businesses could take equipment to be donated, upgraded or recycled.

For more information, Ecology's Solid Waste & Financial Assistance Program -- http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/index.html