On Wednesday, the Solid Waste Association of North America announced this year’s Excellence Award winners. The awards were created to recognize outstanding facilities, operations and programs committed to what the organization judges to be the “environmentally and economically sound management of solid waste,” with an eye toward encouraging innovation in the industry.

“SWANA is proud to recognize the 2006 Excellence Award Winners and their dedication to advancing environmentally and economically sound solid waste management practices,” said John Skinner, Ph. D., SWANA’s executive director and CEO, in a press release. “These organizations are an inspiration to others in the solid waste industry.”

Winners will receive their awards on Sept. 21 at WASTECON 2006, held in Charlotte, N.C. This year, the organization presented 12 awards divided among its eight technical divisions:

Collection & Transfer Division:

Collection System Award GOLD – City of Hamilton Waste Management Division (Ontario) BRONZE – Keeping Frisco Clean… with Single stream (Texas)

Transfer Station Award GOLD – Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County – Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility (Calif.) SILVER – City of Hamilton Waste Management Division (Ontario)

Communication, Education & Marketing Division:

Communication Award GOLD – Puget Sound Recycling Agencies/Department of Ecology (Wash.) SILVER – City of Boise – Public Works Department (Idaho) BRONZE – LaCrosse Disposal System (Wis.)

Public Education Award GOLD – North Shore Recycling Program – Garden Smart (British Columbia) SILVER – City of Seattle BRONZE – City of Hamilton Waste Management Division (Ontario)

Marketing Award SILVER – The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio

Landfill Management Division:

Landfill Management Award GOLD – Alliance Landfill (Penn.) SILVER – Chester County Solid Waste Authority, Lanchester Landfill (Penn.) BRONZE – ACUA Howard F. Haneman Environmental Park & Landfill (N.J.)

Landfill Gas Division:

Landfill Gas Control Award BRONZE – Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District (Utah)

Landfill Gas Utilization Award GOLD – Onyx Cranberry Creek Landfill (Wis.) SILVER – Lanchester Landfill Gas Utilization Project (Pa.) BRONZE – Cytec Industries (La.)

Special Waste Division:

Special Waste Management Award SILVER – Interior Removal Specialist, Inc. (Calif.) BRONZE – City of Nashua DPW Solid Waste Department (N.H.)

Planning & Management Division:

Solid Waste Management Systems Award GOLD – Charlotte County Solid Waste Management Division (Fla.) SILVER – Clinton County Solid Waste Authority (Penn.) BRONZE – City of Toronto Solid Waste Management Services Department

Waste Reduction, Recycling & Composting Division:

Recycling Systems Award GOLD – Interior Removal Specialist (Calif.) SILVER – Parkway School District Materials Recovery Program (Mo.) BRONZE – University City Public Works Department (Mo.)

Waste-to-Energy Division:

Waste-to-Energy Award GOLD – LCSWMA Resource Recovery Facility (Penn.) SILVER – Regional Waste Systems (Maine)

SWANA’s 2006 Innovation Award Winner:

Denver Solid Waste Management/Denver Recycles