Commitment to innovation, cutting waste and saving resources are common traits among a diverse group of 112 businesses — along with their inclusion to the King County Solid Waste Division’s 10th-annual “Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling” list.
“King County businesses are doing a lot to lessen the impacts of climate change by reducing waste,” said King County Solid Waste Division Program Manager Karen May. “We want to ensure businesses get the recognition they deserve for their efforts and inspire others to take action too.”
Honorees from Redmond are:
Education
Lake Washington School District (LWSD) continues to implement and expand its recycling and waste reduction programs, returning for its eighth time on the list. Nearly 75 percent of schools in the district collect organic food waste for composting, durable trays and flatware, and all schools have plastic foam recycling.
Engineering/Manufacturing
Clarisonic joins the list for the second time this year. They design, manufacture, market and ship Clarisonic devices in Redmond. The company has implemented a number of waste prevention/recycling practices, with a zero waste goal. Practices include: cardboard compacting program, a recyclables compacting program, returned or expired lotions are sent to Covanta for processing, returned plastics are recycled, outdated computer equipment gets recycled, and a compost program to enhance overall waste reduction.
Financial
FCS Group provides financial and management consulting services in the Pacific Northwest. The Redmond office returns for their eighth consecutive year on the list. FSC Group now conducts an annual waste audit to track waste streams and increase recycling and composting in the office. The company’s Green Team provides monthly tips and tricks to promote best practices in waste prevention and recycling. The company continues to send and receive documents by scanning, rather than faxing, and uses electronic meeting notes to reduce paper waste from handouts.
Government
The City of Redmond continually strives to improve its waste reduction practices, making it on the list for their fourth time. The city works to recycle beyond the basics: the city has block Styrofoam recycling, as well as composting bins in all kitchenette areas. Batteries and cooking oil can also be recycled at the city. The city also buys recycled items when possible. They use 30 percent post-consumer copy paper and purchase recycled lumber.
Professional
A returning member to the list, Golder Associates, Inc. is included thanks to some creative approaches to sustainability. As a global company providing consulting, design, and construction services, Golder embraces sustainability. Golder has a firm-wide sustainable development report that includes targets for reducing the company’s carbon footprint. The Redmond location updated the company’s environmental issues register, which contains tactics to identify, manage and improve upon their workplace’s environmental challenges, such as waste management.
Retail
Hot Off The Press is a small, family-owned business that provides full service printing to local businesses as well as multi-national companies. Years ago, their goal was to reach 100 percent digital printing. They have since reached that goal, and as a result have eliminated the use of toxic chemicals associated with prepping and cleaning the presses. In addition, they have expanded their recycling program. They donate waste paper to non-profits, and take back packing materials for reuse.
Retail
Cartridge World Redmond, the largest, locally-owned provider of re-manufactured ink and toner supplies, joins the list for the first time. In addition to recycling printer supplies, they also recycle printers from the public and put significant effort into reducing, reusing, and recycling their office supplies, including Styrofoam, paper, furniture and electronic equipment.
Technology
Microsoft returns for a sixth time on the list. They continue to strive toward zero waste by expanding the trash sorting operation currently in place and are working with the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council for zero waste certification. Microsoft includes trash collection in their plans for new office space renovation, and by creating zone trash collection rather than single-occupant trash collection, everyone in renovated office buildings have easy access to all three waste streams, which significantly reduces contamination.
Technology
WISErg joins the list for the first time. The company makes their business by recognizing food discarded by grocery stores, schools and other organizations as a resource rather than a waste. WISErg has developed a conversion process that captures the nutrient value of discarded food and makes it available to commercial and residential growers in the form of a multi-purpose, highly effective liquid fertilizer.
Engineering
Spiration (Olympus Respiratory America) designs and manufactures minimally invasive pulmonary medical devices. They recently formed a Green Team, establishing a goal to increase environmental awareness and reduce waste at their facility.The Green Team conducted a company survey to gauge interest in and knowledge of recycling and composting at the workplace and at home. It included questions to determine what discourages people from participating in waste reduction practices.
