NWRA Announces 2017 Recycling Award Winners

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced its 2017 Recycling Award winners at its Executive Leadership Roundtable, which is taking place this week in Orlando, Fla. The awards, which feature six categories, honor companies that have made substantial contributions to the American recycling industry through partnerships, public education, innovations in recycling equipment and innovations in recycling facilities.

“These awards honor the very best in the industry for excellence in educating the public and smart ways to recycle; creating innovative approaches to advance our work, constructing state-of-the-art recycling facilities and revolutionary partnerships that help protect the environment and increase collaboration with the recycling ecosystem,” said Darrell Smith, president and CEO of NWRA, in a statement. “Our industry continues to make great strides in safety, engineering and community engagement, which not only helps to make us more effective but it also yields better results for the environment and the communities we serve.”

The 2017 Recycling Award winners:

Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award

SCS Engineers

Dane County, Wis., Solid Waste Division

The duo won for its Rodefield Landfill Construction and Demolition Recycling Facility. SCS Engineers assisted Dane County with the design and engineering of its facility, which features a processing line housed inside the structure. This helps keep the facility and surrounding area clean, and it minimizes wind-blown debris and dust.

Best Recycling Public Education Program Award

City of North Port, Fla., Solid Waste Division

Recology San Francisco

The City of North Port was recognized for its outreach strategy. In May 2015, the city launched its social media accounts and has since used them, along with public events and direct marketing efforts, to keep residents informed of services offered by the Solid Waste Department, specifically the implementation of a new curbside recycling program.

Recology San Francisco was honored for its Artist in Residence Program, which provides artists with the opportunity to take what others have thrown away and repurpose it into a variety of artistic mediums, such as sculpture, photography, painting and more.

Innovator of the Year Award

AMP Robotics

AMP Robotics was honored for its artificial intelligence and robotic sorting system that’s currently being used in multiple material recover facilities (MRFs).

Recycling Facility of the Year Award

FCC Environmental Services

City of Dallas

This duo won because its MRF demonstrates leadership in key measurements like innovation, quantity of materials collected and/or processed, types of materials recovered, site improvements and sustainability measures adopted. The facility began operating on January 1, 2017. In its first year of operation, the MRF is expected to process approximately 80,000 tons, with a total capacity of 140,000 tons per year.

Organics Recycler of the Year Award

City of Cedar Grove, Wash.

Republic Services

Alabama Coastal Foundation

This group won for working together to grow and improve the Oyster Shell Recycling Program. Cedar Grove was also honored for playing a critical role in Puget Sound’s recycling infrastructure and sustainability efforts. Today, Cedar Grove diverts more than 350,000 tons of organic material from landfills annually.