Going for Zero Waste… or darn near! Large Business

Businesses that are using Eco-Cycle's services for 100% collection. These businesses are working with Eco-Cycle to reduce waste before it happens with Zero Waste purchasing choices and are composting and recycling nearly all of their remaining discards.

Using Eco-Cycle’s Zero Waste Services, Whole Foods Market is composting or recycling 74% of their waste. This impressive rate of waste diverted from the landfill is a result of their comprehensive effort involving all 365 team members at the Boulder store through rigorous training and ongoing assessment of their waste reduction efforts. Even the Whole Foods shoppers who visit the in-store café are encouraged to be p art of the company’s composting and recycling efforts by sorting their discards into the appropriate bins. Whole Foods’ sustainability efforts also extend well beyond the walls of the store. For their daily commute to work, Whole Foods team members are encouraged to walk, use public transportation, or ride one of the 20 “Green Mission Bikes” provided by the company.

Nominees:

A Spice of Life Event Centers and Catering Services | Old Chicago (Boulder)

Winner: Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites

From the condiments in their in-house restaurant to the shampoos in their guest rooms, each product in the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites is purchased with waste reduction in mind. The business has made exceptional efforts to examine the entire life cycle of products, evaluate their purchasing practices, and make more environmentally-friendly choices to prevent waste in the first place, such as buying condiments in bulk rather than single serving packages. The Outlook also has the distinction of being Boulder’s first Zero Waste hotel, and the staff has made Zero Waste p art of their sales and marketing message. According to Dan King, the Outlook’s Managing Owner and Ambassador of Cool, the hotel’s dedication to Zero Waste and marketing strategy are paying off. Management can identify $120,000 in increased revenues in the first 10 months of using Eco-Cycle’s Zero Waste Services.

Nominees:

Amadeus Consulting | Boulder Ice Cream | La Sportiva N.A., Inc.

Outstanding composting and recycling program: Large Business

Business that are using Eco-Cycle's composting collection service in addition to traditional recycling and/or CHaRM on the Road service.

Winner: The Kitchen

The Kitchen’s menu promotes the use of local and artisanal products, which are pesticide free and use organic and bio-dynamic methods. The business has also made a point to furnish and decorate the restaurant with reused and recycled building materials; tables and bars are made of reclaimed lumber and light fixtures are fashioned from discarded test tubes. The kitchen is composting all of its organic waste with Eco-Cycle and uses 100% compostable, sugar-cane based “to go” containers and corn-based plastics for “to go” cutlery. In addition, the restaurant collects and recycles all of its used cooking oils for bio-diesel.

Nominees:

WhiteWave Foods Company

Winner: Eco-Products

Eco-Products promotes and sells environmentally-friendly building materials and business supply products, such as non-toxic cleaning supplies and biodegradable food serviceware. For all company meetings and parties, Eco-Products uses the biodegradable products that they sell. Eco-Products will soon be manufacturing its own line of biodegradable plates, cups cutlery, creating a more efficient supply chain for environmentally-friendly products and making these products more accessible for the average consumer. This year Eco-Products will also add 100% zero emissions to the company’s already established sustainability practices. A soon to be installed solar system will help the company work toward zero energy use.

Nominees:

Berry Best Smoothies | Boulder Blooms | Eastern Sun Academy | Phil’s Fresh Foods

Outstanding recycling program: Large Business

Businesses that are using Eco-Cycle's collection service for traditional recyclables and/or hard-to-recycle materials.

Winner: Roche Colorado Corporation

In 2006, Roche Colorado instituted an enhanced recycling program with a goal to increase traditional recycling. In addition, the company uses only recycled content office paper for standard projects, as well as bathroom towels made from recycled paper, and all of the carpeting at Roche is made from recycled content. Roche also won the EPA’s Green Chemistry Award for the company’s efforts to reduce the impact of its pharmaceutical manufacturing activities through process design and solvent selection that minimize material use and increase recycling opportunities.

Nominees:

Amgen

Winner: Namaste Solar Electric

By the very nature of its business Namaste Solar is providing tools to help residents and businesses become more energy independent by installing and maintaining solar electric systems. Namaste’s employee-owners encourage one another to buy food in compostable and recyclable packaging, and they have made a commitment to recycle and compost as much material as they possibly can. Eco-Cycle provides for the collection of Namaste’s hard-to-recycle materials such as stretch wrap, #6 white block foam, big durable #2 plastics and scrap metal.

Nominees:

HospiceCare & Share Thrift Shop | Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce | Shining Mountain Waldorf School | Traptek, LLC