On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) honored their recycling awards recipients at their Virtual 2020 Annual Members Meeting. The awards were digitally presented to the winners through Zoom. The annual awards program is designed to honor and recognize outstanding individuals, programs, and organizations around the country, both for their achievements, and to serve as a model and a resource for learning for NRC members.
“Green Bay Packaging is honored to be recognized as a leader and innovator for our recycling and diversion business practices and operations”, said Matt Szymanski, Vice President of Mill Operations. “We are grateful to be the recipient of the 2020 National Recycling Coalition OUTSTANDING BUSINESS LEADERSHIP award for our innovative cradle to cradle and closed-loop recycling achievements. We are proud of our team and the Green Bay community, for their support and commitment to sustainability.”
NRC’s Awards Committee Chair Lisa Skumatz commented on the process expressing the views of fellow committee members, “We were pleased to receive so many nominees from all across the county, meriting winners from Alaska to Florida, and from the latest high tech to long-standing rural models! The committee worked hard to sort from among the very strong submittals to find those shining examples”. She noted that “The winners embodied best practices, especially during this unique year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges that many organizations have been facing”.
Outstanding Business Leadership-For Profit Company: Green Bay Packaging
Green Bay Packaging’s containerboard mill in Green Bay is a fully integrated pulp and paper mill that produces linerboard and corrugated medium in the full spectrum of basis weights using 100% post-consumer recycled fiber. GBP partners with customers to optimize the collection of old corrugated containers (OCC) recovered in their recycling processes, diverting 2.25 million cubic yards of solid was away from landfills in 2019. That effort regenerates corrugated shipping containers with fewer resources while reducing their carbon footprint. In their efforts to close the loop on OCC and mixed paper, the company promotes sustainability through resource conservation, pollution prevention, recycling, responsible forestry, energy conservation, waste reduction and a closed loop in the water system. Truly aggressive efforts and a deserved win. Accepted by Matt Szymanski, Vice President of Mill Operations, presented by Peter Adrian, SWALCO.
Award categories recognize outstanding programs in for-profit businesses, higher education, non-profit organizations, and community / governmental programs, as well as awards for outstanding emerging leader and lifetime achievement.
Complete List of 2020 Awards and Recipients
- Lifetime Achievement in Recycling
- Chaz Miller
- Richard Keller
- Bill Heenan Emerging Leader
- Jacob Appel
- Outstanding Outreach Program
- Fort Worth, TX- Master Composter Program
- Outstanding Community / Government Program
- City of Fayetteville, AR- Organics & Recycling Program
- Boulder County Resource Conservation Division- Zero Waste Program
- Outstanding Higher Education Winner
- UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County- Waste Reduction Program
- Outstanding Recycling Organization
- Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO)- Food Waste Diversion Program
- Outstanding Not-for-Profit Business Leadership
- Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR)
- Outstanding Business Leadership-For Profit Company
- AMP Robotics
- Green Bay Packaging
National Recycling Coalition (NRC) Information
The NRC will be posting information on all winners on the NRC’s website. The National Recycling Coalition congratulates all of this year’s winners! Notable sponsors and contributors of these awards include: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Republic Services, Skumatz Economic Research (SERA), Waste Management, Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), Peter Adrian, Mick Barry, Gary Liss, Fran McPoland. Contacts: Lisa Skumatz, Awards Chair [email protected]; 360/261-3069, and David Keeling, NRC President; [email protected]; 414/630-9382
About Green Bay Packaging Inc.
Started in 1933, Green Bay Packaging Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated company consisting of corrugated container plants, folding cartons, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label roll stock, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Green Bay Packaging Inc. is dedicated to innovative development of its products and forestry resources, with a focus on quality, sustainability, and continuous improvement throughout all of its manufacturing facilities in 14 states. For more information about Green Bay Packaging Inc., visit gbp.com
© October 26, 2020