Colorado honors recyclers - Municipal Recycling awards

Recycling Today, August, 2003

Denver-based Colorado Recycles, the statewide recycling education organization, has named the winners of its annual Recycler of the Year awards. The awards recognize innovation and community involvement in recycling promotion.

The notable recyclers are:

* The Denver Zoo, Overall Recycler of the Year Award. The Denver Zoo recycles exhibit water, offers bins for recyclables, provides recycled plastic benches for seating throughout the park and markets animal waste as "Zoop" compost.

* American Plastics Council (APC), Outstanding Nonprofit or Community Program Award. The APC collaborated with Denver Recycles on the "all plastic bottles campaign," resulting in a 14 percent increase in bottle recycling in the city.

* Target Corporation, Outstanding Business or Commercial Program Award. Colorado's 30 Target stores recycled nearly 11 tons of paper in 2002. Target also recycles business and office materials ranging from shopping carts to batteries to fluorescent light bulbs.

* Denver Recycles, Outstanding Government Program Award. This program of the Public Works/Solid Waste Management department was honored for its comprehensive curbside program and "all plastic bottles" recycling education program.

* Dynamic Advertising & Printing's Horizon Weekly Newspaper, Outstanding School or Educational Program Award. The newspaper maintains a consistent educational stance on recycling.

* Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation, Outstanding Innovation Award. The office spearheads the Computer and Recycling Task Force comprised of representatives from the public, business and private sectors. The task force held 15 events, collecting 357,216 pounds of computer equipment.

* Mesa County's Special Waste Management, Outstanding Innovation Award. The county was noted for developing a countywide used syringe recycling program.

* Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard to Recycle Materials, Don't Let It Go To Waste Award. The center has recycled more than 201 tons of electronic scrap.

* Sharon Wallin, Outstanding Individual Effort Award. Wallin was recognized for more than a decade of service to Colorado Recycles.

Visit www.colorado-recycles.org for more information on Colorado Recycles and the Recycler of the Year program.