The Lane County Commissioners Trashbuster Awards were presented to recipients on November 10th in anticipation of National America Recycles Day (November 15). Selected were local community members, organizations and businesses that put their efforts toward reducing or preventing waste in our community.
Lane County has established through its Board of County Commissioners and its Resource Recovery Advisory Committee (RRAC) a process for recognizing individuals, organizations, and businesses in the community who make notable or outstanding efforts in the area of waste reduction.
Lane County Commissioners recognized eight recipients of this year’s Trashbuster Awards.
“Reduce, reuse, and recycle is not just a phrase for school kids anymore,” said Sarah Grimm, Waste Reduction Specialist for Lane County. “It is THE money making strategy that businesses big and small can employ to maximize efficiency and maintain competitiveness.”
This year’s Trashbuster Award winners included:
Product Manufacturer Trashbuster Award: Knickernappies
Only four years old, this company’s product has helped eliminate the need to produce and landfill an estimated 300,000 disposable diapers annually. The attractive, easy-to-use and washable cloth diapers and baby wipes allow young families to save money, and conserve the resources that their children will need in the future.
The Private Business Trashbuster Award: Peterson Machinery
Employee-driven effort to reduce waste. The company estimates an annual savings of $20,000 in purchase and disposal costs thanks to implementation of electronic ordering and timecard forms, aggressive recycling programs for wood and metal and increased attention to parts reuse and remanufacture.
The Special Event Trashbuster Award: Anne Lkasik, Master Recycler and Zero Waste Coordinator
for two banquets hosted by BRING Recycling. The events served 160 guests yet made less than one bag of trash combined.
The Individual Trashbuster Award: Rick Tromel
Rick has volunteered more than 1,000 hours to help increase reuse and recycling of computer equipment in our community. Rick applies his technical skills, natural patience and interest in people as he trains new staff and volunteers, educates the public at community events, and designs and constructs safe, efficient work areas for staff and volunteers at NextStep Recycling – using predominantly reused and recycled materials of course.
The Restaurant/Food Service Trashbuster Award: Lane Community College Center for Meeting and Learning
Applies a zero waste priority to staff training, written policy, promotions, and in contract language with vendors and customers. Beyond basic recycling, on-site composting, donation of reusable food and refusal to use disposable food service wares reduces waste. They go further to prioritize purchase of recycled content options for everything from brochure paper and office supplies to guest pens, facial tissue and even carpeting.
Nonprofit Trashbuster Award: NextStep Recycling
NextStep has kept an estimated 40,000 pounds of lead from entering the Short Mountain landfill by reusing and recycling computers and electronics. They have provided more than 250,000 computer and electronic items to low-income, disadvantaged populations, and they develop job skill training and career opportunities for 600 community members annually. Their enthusiastic and energetic message of waste prevention inspires and encourages all such community efforts.
The School Program Trashbuster: Robyn Hathcock, University of Oregon Housing Recycling Coordinator
As a result of Robyn’s efforts, the U of O can boast one of the most successful housing waste reduction and recycling programs in the country: Each residence room contains recycling bin with instructions and each incoming student is given a U of O reusable water bottle. Through her attention to seasonal waste issues her program now diverts 12 extra tons of cardboard boxes and plastic bags during resident move-in and over 20 extra tons of reusable and recyclable materials during resident move-out.
Lifetime Achievement Trashbuster: Ruth Koenig
For 35 years Ruth has facilitated and promoted reuse and recycling in schools, churches and everywhere she goes. She was active in creating some of the earliest recycling opportunities in our community: The recycling station at Lincoln Community School, the school supplies reuse program, and school lunch composting program at Cal Young. More recently her efforts have developed two reuse programs at her church, Central Presbyterian. One allows parishioners to bring non-curbside recyclables to church and Ruth (along with other volunteers) delivers materials to the correct local recyclers. The other reuse program is a neighborhood reuse drive timed specifically for the university move-out season. From bread bags for bulk shopping and waxed milk cartons for freezing foods, to old bleachers for hardwood flooring, Ruth demonstrates that reuse fits comfortably into every day of a fine and full life.