SWANA honors 2017 Excellence Awards winners

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, has awarded several SWANA Excellence Awards. The awards program recognizes outstanding solid waste programs and facilities with environmentally and economically sound solid waste management practices. Winners demonstrate effective technologies and processes in system design and operations, worker and community health and safety, and successful public education and outreach programs. Programs also must demonstrate that they are fiscally and environmentally responsible through their compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations, says SWANA.

The 2017 awards honor programs and facilities in 13 different categories, spanning many facets of the municipal solid waste industry. Award winners represent the most innovative and dynamic organizations throughout North America as judged by their peers, says SWANA.

"The recipients of the SWANA Excellence Awards represent the best solid waste management practices in North America today," said David Biderman, SWANA Executive Director and CEO. "Community leaders should be very proud of the valuable contributions that these projects provide to their citizens.”

The winners of the 2017 awards were honored during Wastecon/International Solid Waste Association World Congress Sept. 26 in Baltimore. The winners are:

Category: Communication, Education & Marketing Excellence Awards

Awareness Campaign

Gold (tie) - Western Placer Waste Management Authority, California, “One Big Bin” Campaign; Pitkin County Solid Waste Center, Colorado, “Talkin’ Trash“ Campaign
Silver - City of North Port Solid Waste Division, Florida, Creative Awareness Campaigns

Education Program

Gold - RecycleSmart — Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, California
Silver - Waste Management Youth Education, Washington
Bronze - OC Waste and Recycling Landfill Tour Program, California

Customer Experience Management (CEM) Tools

Bronze -City of Greenville Solid Waste Division-Recycling, South Carolina

Innovation in Communication, Education And Marketing

City of Charlotte, North Carolina, Healthy Communities Education Program

Category: Waste-to-Energy Excellence Awards

Gold - Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach Renewable Energy Facility #2

Category: Collection & Transfer Excellence Awards

Collection Systems

Bronze -City of Baltimore Citywide Municipal Trash Can Program, Maryland

Transfer Station

Gold - Valley Vista Services Pomona Valley, California

Category: Planning & Management Excellence Awards

Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems

Gold - City of Toronto, Ontario, Long Term Solid Waste Management Strategy
Silver - County of Santa Barbara, California, Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division

Category: Landfill Gas and Biogas Excellence Award

Silver - OC Waste and Recycling Bowerman Power Project, California

Category: Landfill Management Excellence Award

Gold - City of Toronto, Ontario, Green Lane Landfill

Category: Landfill Redevelopment Excellence Award

Gold - Niagara Region, Ontario, Landfill End Use Site Development
Bronze - City of Los Angeles, California, Lopez Canyon Environmental Center

Category: Sustainable Materials Management Excellence Awards

Composting Systems

Gold (tie) - Navy Whidbey Recycle In-vessel Composting System, Washington; and Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency Compost Operations, New York
Silver - Republic Services Pacific Region Compost (PRC) Facility, Oregon

Recycling Systems

Gold - GreenWaste Recovery Inc., San Jose, California, Materials Recovery Facility
Silver - Emerald Coast Utilities Authority Materials Recycling Facility, Pensacola, Florida
Bronze - Niagara Region, Ontario, Recycling Centre Improvements

Special Waste Management

Gold - Niagara Region, Ontario, Household Hazardous Waste Depots
Bronze (tie) - Lorain County, Ohio, Collection Center; and Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority, New Jersey, EPS Recycling Program