BY STAFF REPORTS
The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) joined forces on Florida Recycles Day Nov. 15 to encourage all Floridians to recycle and recognized local governments and organizations for their recycling efforts.
DEP presented Recycling Recognition Awards to three counties (Palm Beach, Collier and Charlotte) for meeting the statewide recycling goal of 75 percent.
The Foundation also announced the following Florida Recycles Day 2023 Recycling Champion Award Winners:
1st Place Award: City of Orlando for its Multifamily Recycling Incentive:
The Solid Waste Division for the City of Orlando encourages and educates residents on how to recycle right! The city’s plan includes various educational and communication strategies, such as the Recycling Incentives Program. This program aims to assist properties with implementing recycling initiatives, specifically low- to moderate-income (LMI) multifamily (MF) properties.
2nd Place Award: League of Women Voters of Orange County, Orange County, City of Orlando & City of Winter Park for their Intergovernmental Waste Reduction Program – Campaign Signs Recycling:
A group of Central Florida government agencies and non-profits joined forces to implement a waste diversion program focused on campaign signs. Through their efforts in 2020 and again in 2022, an innovative and successful waste reduction and recycling program was established.
3rd Place Award: City of Coral Springs for its Coral Springs Recycles Right! Campaign:
After implementation of the Coral Springs Recycles Right! Campaign and Recycling Rewards program, contamination rates dropped in the city to less than 30%. This has allowed the city to continue its curbside recycling program.
Award for Community Impact: Resource Depot for Turning Waste into Wonder:
Resource Depot has been a center for creative reuse in Palm Beach County for more than 23 years. By collecting donations from businesses and individuals and re-distributing them to multiple entities (teachers, artists, families and other non-profits) Resource Depot saves these valuable resources from being wasted while helping stretch imaginations and budgets!
Award for Sustainable Impact: Tampa International Airport for Master Plan Phase 1 – Environmental Stewardship:
Sustainable growth and environmental stewardship have been at the forefront of several projects at Tampa International Airport (TPA) over the past several years. In the second quarter of 2023, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA) achieved its first Envision Verified Award for projects including the development of its Consolidated Rental Car (ConRAC) facility, Automated People Mover (APM), Main Terminal Airport Concessions (MTAC), South Terminal Support Area Roadways (STSA Roadways), Taxiway J Bridge (TWJ Bridge), and Concessions Warehouse (CONWH).
Award for Innovative Impact: Keep Coral Gables Beautiful for its Reverse Vending Machine Rewards Incentive Pilot Program:
The City of Coral Gables and Keep Coral Gables Beautiful were awarded the 2022 Florida Beverage Association Community Grant in the amount of $25,000 to launch a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) Rewards Incentive Pilot program at the War Memorial Youth Center. The machine was installed in November 2022.
Nominations were judged by students from the Patel College for Global Sustainability and the Recycling Champion Award Winners will be featured in a webinar on January 26th.
To register for the webinar https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-florida-recycling-champion-award-winners-presentations-tickets-775875834507
Keyna Cory is the Executive Director of theFlorida Recycling Partnership Foundation
