Four companies with ties to California will be honored by the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) for their innovative environmental efforts during the organization’s 8th Annual Arrow Awards ceremony. Labcon, Smart Planet Technologies, Planet Recycling, Inc. and Walgreens will receive statewide recognition respectively for overall excellence in product stewardship, system and design innovations, coalition building and product-take-back.
“We are delighted to honor companies that both in big and small ways are helping to change the way we deal with our trash,” said Heidi Sanborn, CPSC Executive Director. “Whether it be getting addictive drugs off the streets, recycling old carpet, reducing packaging, or greening product design these companies are leaders. We are excited to be working with them.”
Labcon is the recipient of the 2017 Golden Arrow Award for Overall Excellence in Product Stewardship. A company that produces labware consumables with 100% recyclable packaging and uses vegetable based soy inks exclusively. Labcon is committed to reducing their water and energy use, waste production and greenhouse gas emissions, with some of their manufacturing processes even sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere.
Smart Planet Technologies will receive the 2017 Green Arrow Award for System and Design Innovations. Smart Planet is an intellectual property and materials engineering company that developed reCUP, the first commercially available paper cup that’s engineered for recycling. reCUP use 51% less plastic than traditional poly-coated paper cups and can be processed through existing paper recycling equipment as if there is no coating applied at all through the use of their EarthCoating technology, a highly mineralized resin alternative to 100% plastic coatings for paper based packaging.
Planet Recycling, Inc. is the winner of the 2017 Bow & Arrow Award for Coalition Building for building partnerships and demonstrating the inter-dependence amongst stakeholders. Planet Recycling is a carpet and pad recycling company that services all of San Diego County. In the recycling business for over 50 years, Planet Recycling collaborates with producers, distributors, retailers, public agencies and other stakeholders to improve the solutions for the carpet recycling industry.
Walgreens will be presented with the 2017 Infinity Arrow Award for Service and Take-Back. Walgreens’ Safe Medication Disposal Program provides safe medication disposal kiosks at over 600 24-hour locations in 45 states and the District of Columbia – 53 of which are located in California. Since program inception in February 2016, the Walgreens’ kiosks have collected over 72 tons of medications at no cost to the public. Walgreens’ program is the first ongoing national effort by a retailer.
For more information, visit www.CalPSC.org.