EPA Recognizes Four New York and New Jersey 2018 WasteWise Winners for Diverting Over 356,000 Tons of Waste from Landfills
NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey as one of the 2018 winners of the national WasteWise awards, as well as four regional winners in New York and New Jersey. The work conducted by 10 national winning organizations collectively prevented and diverted over 356,000 tons of waste from entering landfills and saved the organizations over $19.6 million in avoided landfill fees.
“For more than two decades, EPA’s WasteWise program has helped organizations and businesses conserve resources and save money,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said. “Our 2018 winners show that keeping valuable materials out of the trash is a win-win for their bottom lines and the environment.”
“WasteWise winners are recognized for their leadership in sustainability, waste reduction and diversion, and environmental stewardship,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “Sustainability-focused organizations like these increase awareness and knowledge about waste issues and provide examples for other organizations to take responsible actions toward improving the environment.”
EPA’s WasteWise program encourages organizations and businesses to achieve sustainability in their practices and to reduce select industrial wastes. Participants in the program work to prevent and divert waste that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or incinerated.
Every year EPA recognizes WasteWise partners in various categories who report the best overall improvement in waste prevention and recycling activities when compared to the previous year. The 2018 national award winner for the Non-Profit Organization Partner of the Year is The Valley Hospital–Ridgewood, New Jersey. The hospital diverted more than 830,554 pounds of material from landfills and incinerators and increased its single-stream recycling by 10 tons from 2016 to 2017 by improving access to bins, creating a special sort center, and focusing more on employee education and engagement.
"Through proper waste segregation, we minimize negative impacts on the environment while preserving and promoting human health, all aligned with the oath Do No Harm,” said Howard H. Halverson, Director of Environmental Services at The Valley Hospital.
2018 WasteWise regional winners across New York and New Jersey include:
Ravitz Family Markets in New Jersey (Cherry Hill, Marlton, Mount Laurel, and Camden)
“Source reduction is achieved through very careful purchasing. We buy right so you can shop right.” – Ken Brahl, Senior Director of Labor Relations, Ravitz Family Markets
Curbell, Inc. in Orchard Park, New York
“Our goal is to lead by example—to demonstrate that implementing a strong environmental program has significant economic benefits. The EPA WasteWise program helps us spread that message, learn and share best practices among members, and attract to our team people who truly care about balancing profitability with sustainability.” - Mark Shriver, Director of Safety & Environmental Affairs; Curbell Inc.
Evelyn Hill in New York City, New York
“Evelyn Hill continuously strives to improve our performance and reduce our environmental footprint. We are grateful for the support from EPA Region 2.” - Bradford Hill, President, Evelyn Hill Inc.
Ombligo in Brooklyn, New York
“What is good for the planet is good for business.” - Harris Edelman, President, Ombligo
More information about each winner’s efforts and results, is available at https://www.epa.gov/smm/wastewise#AwardsandAwardWinners
Background:
The WasteWise program is part of EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management efforts that promote the use and reuse of materials more productively over their entire life cycles. All U.S. businesses, governments and non-profit organizations can join WasteWise as a partner, an endorser, or both. Partners demonstrate how they reduce waste, practice environmental stewardship and incorporate sustainable materials management into their waste-handling processes. Endorsers promote enrollment in WasteWise as part of a comprehensive approach to help their stakeholders realize the economic benefits to reducing waste. For more information, visit: https://www.epa.gov/smm/wastewise.
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