CIWMB Press Room Archives

It's a WRAP–State Honors 10 Businesses for Best Waste Reduction Practices: Apple Wins Award in Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO -- The California Integrated Waste Management Board, part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, is honoring 10 companies statewide for outstanding efforts to cut down on the amount of waste they produce. From Arcata to San Diego, this year's "WRAP of the Year" (Waste Reduction Awards Program) winners are businesses who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to environmental protection.

"The business community's support of California's waste reduction goals is impressive," said Waste Board Member Michael Paparian. "We're glad to recognize the creative and innovative efforts of these companies to cut down on the trash they produce. Their accomplishments will, we hope, inspire other businesses and organizations to save money on disposal costs and do a good turn for the environment with recycling and reuse programs that prevent the generation of excess waste. "

The business community generates more than half of all the waste produced in California. Active involvement by business and industry to reduce and prevent waste is essential to help cities and counties meet the state's legislatively mandated goal to cut in half the trash we dispose of and divert the other half to productive uses.

The Waste Board's Waste Reduction Awards Program was established eight years ago, and includes an annual selection of 10 WRAP of the Year winners. From the many WRAP winners throughout California (1,898 this year alone), 10 top-achieving businesses are selected each fall for their dedication to reducing waste, finding creative reuses for materials that might otherwise end up in landfills, and preventing additional waste through good environmental and business practices. Along the way, businesses discover that recycling, reuse, and waste prevention can save money on trash hauling fees and generate revenue from recycling activities.

Apple's manufacturing facility in Elk Grove has earned the WRAP award for the sixth consecutive year and this year is dually recognized with a WRAP of the Year award. In the fiscal year of 1999, Apple's core team of employee volunteers at the Elk Grove site championed efforts to capture recyclable materials in a more efficient and cost-effective manner, achieving a 91 percent recycling rate and realizing significant cost savings for trash handling. Based in Cupertino, California, Apple delivers personal computing solutions to students, educators, creative professionals, and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software, and Internet offerings.

Other WRAP of the Year 2000 winners include:

Albertsons/Sav-On (locations statewide), a WRAP honoree for three years, is the second-largest retail food and drug store in the United States. Albertsons/Sav-On currently operates more than 1,700 grocery stores and over 800 stand-alone drug stores in 37 states. Every California location received a WRAP award this year. The company employs over 230,000 people with 58,000 employees in California alone. Albertsons recycles more than 50 percent of its solid waste. These efforts have kept approximately 247,000 tons of waste out of landfills, saved substantial dollars in disposal costs, and brought revenue to the company from the sale of recyclables. Albertsons' waste reduction programs include iceless broccoli packaged in a recyclable box; alternatives to polystyrene for fresh fish packaging; waste oil reuse; recycling of plastic bags and pallet wrap to make plastic lumber benches; donating damaged food and scraps to food banks, churches, and animal shelters; and minimizing the amount of packaging used for shipping.

A seven-year WRAP winner, Allergan (Irvine) is a global provider of specialty therapeutic products headquartered in Irvine. This WRAP-of-the-Year-winning business participates in a number of recycling efforts, ranging from paper and plastic to the ink toner cartridges used in computer printers and copiers. Allergan also recycles materials from its research labs and donates excess chemicals and used research equipment to local colleges and local high schools for their chemistry classes. Currently, Allergan recycles more than 260 tons of paper, cardboard, and aluminum per year from its headquarters and purchases recycled-content supplies.

Bentley Mills, Inc., a division of Interface Inc., (City of Industry), a commercial carpet manufacturer located in Los Angeles County, has received WRAP recognition for two years running. Bentley is committed to becoming an environmentally sustainable and restorative company. With a mission to do more with less, a new carpet product called "Streatley Road" was launched in June 2000. This introductory product is made from Dupont 100 percent recycled nylon fiber. From 1994 through 1999, trash going to the landfill was reduced by 82 percent, the cost of materials being sent to the landfill was reduced by 72 percent, and the income from selling recyclables exceeded $800,000.

A three-year WRAP honoree, Direct Relief International (Santa Barbara) is a 52 year-old non-profit humanitarian organization headquartered in Santa Barbara County. Direct Relief sends medical products and equipment to people in need throughout the world. In 1999, the organization sent over $52 million in aid to 54 countries, reaching over 10 million people. Direct Relief's extensive volunteer pool is intrinsic to the success of its reuse and recycling program. The organization redistributes pharmaceutical and medical supplies donated by over 150 manufacturers, hospitals, and clinics nationwide to communities in need. Used medical equipment (repaired and refurbished) is also sent to meet the needs of these communities. Direct Relief maintains an overhead of less than 3 percent and has an extraordinary ability to leverage the support it receives: for every $100,000 raised, $1 million in medical aid is sent to needy countries.

I.M. David Furniture (Gardena) has received a WRAP award for the second consecutive year and is a wood furniture manufacturing company that went from less than 20 percent recycling to nearly 100 percent with a little bit of effort. I.M. David Furniture received one of this year's WRAP-of-the-Year awards for outstanding waste reduction and recycling efforts implemented by management and carried through by hard-working staff. Due to the weight of the material previously being disposed of by the company (mostly woodcuttings and sawdust), the company initially did not consider that it had much waste material to reduce. Space was also a limiting factor at the plant–there wasn't room for additional recycling dumpsters. A little bit of research and a change in operating paid off. Now, I.M. David has virtually no trash and only one 40-yard roll-off which takes a mixture of sawdust, wood, and floor cuttings away for recycling.

A three-year WRAP winner, the North Coast Cooperative, Inc. (Arcata) was named a WRAP of the Year honoree for 2000 for incorporating a waste-reduction program that diverts more than 50 percent of the waste produced at both its Arcata and Eureka stores. The program includes recycling white and mixed papers, newspaper, cardboard, plastics, cans, glass, and compostable materials. The co-op is also an avid supporter of local recycling centers and efforts. Through donations at the register and bag rebates, the co-op and the Cooperative Community Foundation have been able to award over $25,000 to local recycling efforts.

The Ocean Beach People's Organic Foods Market (San Diego) has been recognized with a WRAP award for three years as a customer-owned California cooperative and retail vegetarian food store specializing in organic produce and natural foods. The market's most successful waste reduction activity is the offsite composting of waste generated in their deli and produce departments on the co-op sponsored organic farm in Jamul. At the farm, the co-op also educates sixth-graders about farming and composting. Other reduction activities include the "free food box" of day-old perishables made available to employees and the reuse of all office paper products, plastic buckets and packing materials. The Ocean Beach People's co-op recycles absolutely everything the city will accept: mixed paper, selected plastic, cardboard, glass bottles, tin cans, aluminum cans and newspaper. With the cost for waste collection partly determined by weight, the market's waste reduction efforts help keep their disposal expenses low, under $600 per month. The co-op also demonstrates a commitment to environmental stewardship by supporting local and global organic agriculture and by reducing, reusing and recycling approximately 90 percent of the waste generated in the store.

Now in its sixth year as a WRAP winner, Westin San Francisco Airport (Millbrae) is a 315,000-square-foot hotel and restaurant with 393 rooms and 23,000 square feet of meeting/banquet space. The hotel has been selected as a top-10 winner this year because its 250 associates are committed to reducing waste, recycling, and reusing products and energy to make a contribution to the community and the environment. An ongoing, comprehensive environmental action plan was implemented and has been in use since 1994. Today, the Westin donates excess food to food banks; recycles paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic; uses recycled-content products; and provides environmental education to employees. The hotel is a member of the Recycled Paper Coalition and the Sustainable San Mateo County Business Council. The Westin's average annual recycled materials weigh 22 tons and generate a cost benefit of nearly $6,000 per year.

Yosemite Concession Services, Inc. (Yosemite National Park), under contract with the National Park Service to operate facilities in the park, has received recognition as a WRAP winner for eight years, dating back to the inception of the state's business waste reduction program. The concession company's facilities include warehousing, transportation and food and beverage operations. YCS recycles 25 percent and diverts 41 percent of the wastes generated at its concession facilities. YCS promotes waste diversion, educational programs, and green purchasing practices. Bicycles are used to reduce the use of gas and vehicles in the park; recycling workshops and tours are conducted; reusable items are donated to charitable organizations; and onsite mulching reuses green waste for landscaping benefits. YCS's waste diversion program has made it possible for Yosemite National Park and YCS to become leaders in waste reduction. The company estimates its cost savings through waste diversion are over $100,000 annually.

For more information about the WRAP program and actions businesses can take to reduce waste, please visit us online at: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/WRAP/

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use, and protecting public health and safety and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

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