NWRA Announces 2022 Recycling Awards Recipients
Arlington, VA – The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced its 2022 Recycling Awards recipients, recognizing innovators and leaders in its industry. Awards in four categories were given to companies that have made substantial contributions to U.S. recycling through partnerships, public education and innovations in recycling facilities. Winners were selected by a panel of judges who are professionals in the waste and recycling industry.
“These awards honor the very best in the industry for excellence in creating innovative approaches to advance our work and constructing state-of-the-art recycling solutions that help protect the environment,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “Our industry continues to make great strides in expanding options for managing materials, which yields better results for the environment and the communities we serve.”
The 2022 Recycling Facility of the Year Award went to GFL Environmental’s Multi Material Recycling Campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The campus is located on a 27-acre site housing two materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and is designed to receive recyclables 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday. It is designed on the premise that material composition is changing quickly. GFL placed an emphasis on recovering products from single stream material during the design process.
Honorable mentions included Metro Recycling Facility and Triad Recycling and Energy Facility.
The 2022 Organics Management Facility of the Year Award went to Republic Services’s Otay Compost Facility in Chula Vista, Calif. To help comply with new California regulations that require 75 percent diversion of organic waste from landfills by 2025, Republic Services began a small pilot program to prove the viability of composting food and yard waste at this facility, processing nearly 50 tons per week. Upon conclusion of the successful pilot program and permitting process, the facility currently processes 200 tons per day of food and yard waste, with future plans to process upwards of 300 tons per day.
The Otay Compost Facility is powered entirely by solar. It is a key infrastructure investment that helps provide businesses and residents alike with a viable, sustainable outlet for their food and yard waste so that they can meet the requirements of the new state law.
The 2022 Innovator of the Year Award went to CP Group. CP Group’s OCC (old corrugated containers) Auger screen includes patented technology designed to reduce presorting, improve worker safety and create a clean end product.
CP Group recognized that presorting commingled materials can often cause damage to equipment and lead to downtime. It developed a non-wrapping, non-jamming auger screen to support a fully automated MRF. The innovation of the patented OCC Auger Screen has changed the landscape of MRFs.
The 2022 Excellence in Recycling Public Education Award went to Mazza Recycling for its Greener Tomorrow recycling education program in New Jersey. The program is a community-wide initiative that aims to help local residents better understand recycling.
The Greener Tomorrow program is tailored to all age groups looking to get a more in-depth discussion on recycling, product design, manufacturing, economics, careers in the waste and recycling industry and environmental stewardship. The programming takes three different forms: classroom visits, on-site field trips and remote virtual tours. Students, chaperones and adults who visit the facility are educated on single stream recycling, how the material is processed and packaged for reuse and given a safe, hands-on, guided tour of the facility and machines used. Classroom visits are facilitated by an educated member of the Greener Tomorrow Program Facilitator team, with a custom-made presentation that teaches students and adults of all ages about complex recycling systems in an engaging, easy-to-understand and fun hour-long experience. The presentations provide participants with takeaway materials that allow them to continue the recycling conversation at home and with their peers.
“I congratulate all our winners on their outstanding achievements and contributions. It is important we recognize the good work our industry is doing to make our communities better,” said Smith.
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ABOUT NWRA
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that manage waste, recycling and medical waste, equipment manufacturers and distributors, and various other service providers. For more information about NWRA, please visit www.wasterecycling.org.
CONTACT
Brandon Wright
National Waste & Recycling Association
bwright@wasterecycling.org
202-364-3706
