State Waste Reduction Award Goes Paperless: Online Application Gets Makeover

SACRAMENTO--In an effort to save natural resources and make it easier and faster for California businesses and private nonprofits to apply for the 2008 Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP), the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) now offers a new online application process and will be accepting online applications through May 31, 2008, at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/WRAP/. The WRAP award program was established in 1993 to honor California businesses and nonprofits for leadership in waste reduction, waste prevention, recycling, reuse, and buying recycled-content products.

"California continues to benefit in so many ways thanks to businesses and nonprofit organizations whose environmentally friendly policies conserve our natural resources and create economic opportunities," said Board Chair Margo Reid Brown. "The Board encourages the business community to showcase examples of how we can all find ways to cut waste and recycle as much as possible, reuse materials and be conscientious stewards of our natural resources and protect our environment."

Approximately half of the state’s 92 million-ton annual waste stream comes from the business sector. The WRAP awards honor California companies and nonprofits for workplace solutions to cutting waste and disposal. Innovative and environmentally conscientious businesses have helped move California to a waste reduction and recycling pinnacle, diverting enormous amounts of materials from landfills, conserving limited natural resources by re-marketing salvaged goods, cutting disposal-related expenses, and reaping financial gains from doing what's right.

WRAP, now in its 15th year, has honored more than 16,400 California companies--both large and small businesses--for demonstrating a commitment to resource conservation by reducing waste, using resources efficiently, and encouraging other companies to do the same by sharing successful waste reduction strategies. All businesses and private nonprofit organizations with California facilities are encouraged to apply for a WRAP award at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/WRAP/ or by contacting the CIWMB’s WRAP program coordinator at wrap@ciwmb.ca.gov or (916) 341-6604. Each business will be evaluated individually, based upon its own accomplishments.

Environmentally friendly and conscientious businesses selected as 2008 WRAP winners will receive an award certificate from the State of California, and will be able to use the WRAP logo for promotional advertising and publicity about their accomplishments.

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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