Recycling Awards
The NWRA Recycling Awards recognize not only performance in the areas of recyclables, construction and demolition debris, and organics, but also honor sustainability partnerships, education and outreach, and manufacturing innovation.
The 2025 NWRA Recycling Awards recipients will be recognized at a January 21 Awards Dinner on the USS Midway, held as part of NWRA’s 2026 Industry Conference January 19-21, in San Diego, California.
NWRA
Award Categories
Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award
This award celebrates partnerships that enhance sustainability. It is open to partnerships including municipal and county governments, regulatory agencies, community organizations and the private industry that have successfully partnered to implement game changing initiatives, policies or programs that advance sustainability in their community. At least one member of the partnership should be an NWRA member.
Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year Award
This award is open to NWRA members that are recycling equipment designers and manufacturers. The award celebrates innovation in design and manufacturing that increases the effectiveness or efficiency of recycling equipment and operations.
Recycling Facility of the Year Award
This award is open to new or existing recycling facilities that are NWRA members or public sector/non-profit entities. The award recognizes the facility that leads all other facilities in one or more key measurements to stand as the preeminent recycling facility of the year.
Organics Management Facility of the Year Award
This award is open to new or existing organics management facilities that are either NWRA members or public sector/non-profit entities that have made a significant impact in diverting organics through their management facility. The award celebrates achievements and commitment to recovery.
Construction & Demolition Recycling Facility of the Year Award
This award is open to new or existing construction and demolition (C&D) recycling facilities that are either NWRA members or public sector/non-profit entities. It recognizes a facility this is a model for construction & demolition waste diversion.
Excellence in Recycling Public Education Award
This award is open to public, private and non-governmental organizations that exemplify excellence in recycling or sustainability public education programs. Applicants should submit program materials and methodologies, as well as data that quantify the impact and the success of the program.
Nomination Fees
The nomination fee for our flagship award—Sustainability Partnership Game Changer—is $300/application.
For all other awards, the nomination fee is $150/application.
The application fee must be paid by the application deadline for the nomination to be considered.
Have questions?
Please contact Sara Bixby at sbixby@wasterecycling.org with any questions you may have about the awards.
2025 Recipients
- Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: WM – Major League Baseball.
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center in Columbus, OH
- Organics Management Facility of the Year: Generate Upcycle – Cayuga Digester and Biogas Plant
- Construction & Demolition Recycling Facility of the Year: WM-Nashville C&D Recycling Facility.
- Excellence in Recycling Public Education: OCWR’s EcoChallenge Curriculum: Enhancing Sustainability and Benefitting Youth
- Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year: Van Dyk Recycling Solutions and Greyparrot AI
2024 Recipients
- Game Changer of the Year Award: Republic Services’ Polymer Center in Las Vegas.
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: LRS’ Exchange Materials Recovery Facility in Chicago
- Recycling Facility of the Year Honorable Mention: GFL Environmental’s Materials Recovery Facility in Horicon, Wisconsin
- Excellence in Recycling Public Education Award: Recology King County in Seattle
- Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year: Machinex Technologies’ Next-Generation MRF in Coventry, England.
- Organics Management Facility of the Year: City of Quebec’s Biomethanization Center of the Agglomeration of Quebec (CBAQ) in Quebec, Canada.
2023 Recipients
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: Murphy Road Recycling, LLC’s All American MRF
- C&D Facility of the Year: WM Recycling Deerfield
- Organics Management Facility of the Year Award: WM Varick CORe facility and Recology Ostrom Organics
- Game Changer of the Year Award: Clean Harbors
- Game Changer of the Year Award Honorable Mention: UpCycle Arts
- Excellence in Recycling Public Education Award: American Waste Control
- Equipment Innovator: Everest Labs – RecycleOS
2022 Recipients
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: GFL Environmental’s Multi Material Recycling Campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award Honorable Mention: Metro Recycling Facility
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award Honorable Mention: Triad Recycling and Energy Facility
- Organics Management Facility of the Year Award: Republic Services’s Otay Compost Facility in Chula Vista, Calif.
- Innovator of the Year Award: CP Group
- Excellence in Recycling Public Education Award: Mazza Recycling’s Greener Tomorrow Recycling Education Program in New Jersey
2021 Recipients
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: Waste Management Hodgkins Materials Recovery Facility and the Mazza Materials Recovery Facility
- Organics Recycler of the Year Award: Waste Management
- Innovator of the Year Award: AMP Robotics
2020 Recipients
- Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: Rehrig Pacific Company and Waste Management
- Best Recycling Public Education Program Award: Solid Waste Authority (SWA) of Palm Beach County, Fla.’s Recycle Right Everyday campaign
- Recycling Facility of the Year: FCC Environmental Services’ Houston materials recovery facility (MRF) and GFL Environmental’s Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, MRF
- Innovator of the Year – Recycling Equipment: Fire Rover
- Organics Recycler of the Year: Republic Services
2019 Recipients
- Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: Village of Mount Prospect Public Works in Mount Prospect, Ill., and SWANCC in Wheeling, Ill.
- Best Recycling Public Education Program Award: Republic Services’ “Recycling Simplified” campaign
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: Plano Recycling Facility in Plano, Texas
- Innovator of the Year – Recycling Equipment Award: Styro-Constrictor
2018 Recipients
- Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: Florida Recycling Partnership, Waste Management, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Beverage Association
- Construction and Demolition Debris Recycler of the Year Award: Waste Connections of Rhode Island
- Best Recycling Public Education Program Award: Waste Management’s Latino Outreach Study and Campaign
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: Dem-Con Companies for its materials recovery facility (MRF)
- Organics Recycler of the Year Award: Vanguard Renewables
- Honorable Mention – Recycling Facility of the Year: City of El Cerrito, El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center
- Honorable Mention – Recycling Facility of the Year: Outagamie County Recycling & Solid Waste, Tri-County Recycling Facility
- Honorable Mention – Best Recycling Public Education Program: City of Phoenix, Phoenix Zero Waste Team
2017 Recipients
- Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: SCS Engineers and Dane County, Wis., Solid Waste Division
- Best Recycling Public Education Program Award: City of North Port, Fla., Solid Waste Division’s outreach strategy and Recology San Francisco’s Artist in Residence Program
- Innovator of the Year Award: AMP Robotics
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: FCC Environmental Services and City of Dallas’ materials recovery facility (MRF)
- Organics Recycler of the Year Award: City of Cedar Grove, Wash., Republic Services and Alabama Coastal Foundation
2016 Recipients
- Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine Waste Diversion Program. Partners included: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, ASI Waste and Reduction in Motion.
- Excellence in Public Education Award: Emerald Coast Utility Authority’s Compost Program Outreach and Education
- Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year Award: BinBisa Decorative Recycling Bins
- Recycling Facility of the Year Award: Republic Services’ Southern Nevada Recycling Center
- Construction and Demolition Debris Recycler of the Year: Zanker Recycling of San Jose, Calif.
- Excellence in Organics Recycling: Emerald Coast Utilities Authority’s Biosolids Composting Facility
- Honorable Mention – Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: Publix and Goodwill Industries Recycling
- Honorable Mention – Excellence in Public Education Award: Waste Management’s “Recycle Often. Recycle Right.” Public Education and Outreach Program
- Honorable Mention – Excellence in Public Education Award: Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s Away Program
2015 Recipients
- Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award: “Fill it, Tilt it, That’s How We Roll” campaign. This project was a collaboration between Kessler Consulting, Hillsborough County government in Florida, Progressive Waste Solutions, Republic Services, Waste Management, ESG, McNeilus Trucks, Sonrai Systems, Schaefer Systems, Cascade Cart Solutions, WasteRec Services and Trio Environmental Solutions.
- Excellence in Public Education Award: Montgomery County Environmental Learning Center in Ohio
- Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year Award: Blue Line Biogenic CNG Facility in Lafayette, Calif.
- Recycling Facility of the Year: Sims Municipal Recycling’s Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Honorable Mention – Excellence in Public Education Award: “Green Grades” campaign by Dem-Con Cos. of Minnesota
- Honorable Mention – Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year Award: Rumpke’s “Rumpke Innovates to Meet Glass Recycling Challenges”
- Honorable Mention – Recycling Facility of the Year: Rumpke’s Cincinnati MRF