National award winners for 2020 and 2021 prevented and diverted close to 408,000 tons of waste that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or incinerators, contributing to climate change. Instead, they saved over to $22.5 million in avoided landfill cost and prevented emission that contributed to climate change and other environmental impacts. “Innovation, courage, and knowledge to overcome pandemic-related challenges are the cornerstones of the WasteWise award winners,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Their actions to creatively develop and implement solutions to reduce waste during a global health crisis contributed to reducing the pollution that’s fueling climate change, while helping conserve natural resources.”
As one of EPA’s longest-running voluntary partnership programs, WasteWise celebrated its 27th and final year in 2021. Over the years, WasteWise partners prevented and diverted close to 249 million tons of waste from landfills and incinerators, preventing more than 488 million tons of associated greenhouse gas emissions, and saving these partners close to $13.7 billion in avoided landfill tipping fees.
EPA recognizes WasteWise partners in several data categories that report the best overall improvement in waste prevention and recycling activities when compared to the previous year. This year, EPA also recognizes winners in narrative categories who achieved exemplary waste reductions in their organizations and businesses. The WasteWise award winners achieved noteworthy accomplishments, such as reprocessing N95 respirators, implementing Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines at a university, and reusing shipping containers for return trips to avoid waste.
Another tier of WasteWise awards go to Regional Partners with Regional awards, which are given to partners who improved their waste prevention/diversion by 5% compared to the previous reporting year. Regional awards are given to high-performing partners who were not already recognized with a National award.
The 2020 WasteWise national data winners are:
- Partner of the Year: Ombligo, Inc. (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
The 2020 Region 2 WasteWise awards are being given to:
- Impact Environmental (Bohemia, New York)
- Live Nation – PNC Bank Arts Center (Holmdel, New Jersey)
- Evelyn Hill, Inc. (New York, New York)
- BB&T Pavilion (Camden, New Jersey)
The 2021 Region 2 WasteWise awards are being given to:
- Ombligo, Inc. (Brooklyn, New York)
- ECOS: New Jersey (Parsippany, New Jersey)