WasteWise Partners Reduce Waste; Increase Recycling

(11/04/05) The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized 34 WasteWise partners for significant waste reduction and recycling achievements. Tom Dunne, acting assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, presented the awards to winners in several categories.

This year, the U.S. Postal Service-Northeast Area, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control were inducted into the WasteWise Hall of Fame. Their continued commitment to progressive waste reduction activities earned them the highest honor awarded to WasteWise partners. OSWER Deputy Assistant Administrator Barry Breen said, “As these award winners have proven, voluntary, collaborative actions can lead to remarkable environmental results, while allowing businesses the flexibility to minimize costs.”

Now in its eleventh year, WasteWise is a voluntary partnership that promotes reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. WasteWise partners design their own waste reduction programs to achieve both environmental and economic benefits that suit their individual needs. Partners now number over 1,400, with 250 endorsers. Through their combined waste reduction activities, partners have eliminated more than 65 million metric tons of carbon equivalent--roughly the same as keeping about 52 million cars off the road for one year.

This year’s winners were honored at the 2005 WasteWise Annual Conference in Arlington, Va., on Oct. 24-25. The complete list of winners can be found at:
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/wstewise/about/win05.htm For more information about EPA’s WasteWise program, visit the WasteWise Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/

Contact Information

Kerry Humphrey

Environmental Protection Agency

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