Recyclers honored by EPA - Municipal Recycling - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Brief Article

Recycling Today, July, 2002

Four groups and one individual who championed recycling causes were among the 13 "Environmental Heroes" honored by Region 9 of the U.S. EPA. Region 9 covers California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.

Honorees "have applied creativity, teamwork and leadership in addressing many of the area's most pressing and complex environmental problems," Wayne Nastri, EPA regional administrator, remarks.

Region 9 Environmental Heroes with a recycling connection include:

* The Los Angeles Unified School District, which has developed a comprehensive waste diversion and recycling program for its nearly 1 million students and 80,000 employees. The district has expanded its mixed-paper recycling program to all schools and administrative offices.

* Tara Pike of Las Vegas was honored for expanding volunteer-supported environmental programs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She oversees all aspects of recycling at the university, staffing the program with more than 100 student volunteers each semester.

* Tyson Miller and the Recycled Products Purchasing Cooperative of Encinitas, Calif., were recognized for recycled-content purchasing efforts. Co-op participants have purchased more than 100,000 cases of 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

* Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., was honored for its Mercury Thermometer Replacement and Battery Recycling programs. The Household Battery Recycling Program redirects batteries from landfill waste streams to recycling facilities. EPA Region nine is hopeful the program can be replicated at other colleges, universities and large corporations.

* Ken Cleaveland and Mark Rumpler of San Francisco's Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) were honored for their comprehensive "San Francisco Recycling and Hazardous Waste Guide for Commercial Property Owners and Managers." Approximately 220 office buildings participate in the association's High Rise Recycling Program and divert more than 1,600 tons of paper monthly.