Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP)

2005 WRAP of the Year (WOTY)

The Waste Reduction Awards Program, WRAP, recognizes California businesses that have made outstanding efforts to reduce nonhazardous waste and send less garbage to our landfills. "WRAP of the Year" recognizes five of the best examples of these efforts, which serve as waste management models to the rest of their industry.

The 2005 WRAP of the Year winners are:

• Agilent Technologies
• Byers' LeafGuard Gutter Systems
• Safeway Inc.
• Trinchero Family Estates
• Walser's

Other WRAP of the Year Winners: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 a| 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996

Agilent Technologies, Inc.—Sonoma County Operations (Santa Rosa, Sonoma County) with campuses in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park is a leading manufacturer of high performance test and measurement equipment for the fast growing worldwide telecommunications industry. The company has obtained registration for all of its manufacturing sites under the global ISO-14001 Environmental Management System Standard. The company is a leader in the management of solid wastes and has implemented a highly successful reuse and recycling program for solid waste materials that otherwise would go to landfill.

The company has established recycling centers at its two campuses in the county that are staffed by clients of Becoming Independent, which is a first-time-to-work program for developmentally challenged adults. The recycling centers provide support and space for a major deskside and manufacturing by-product recycling program that makes it very easy for employees to recycle materials. During 2004, Agilent operations in Sonoma County diverted over 994 tons or 80 percent of the solid waste generated from the local landfill. This was an increase from the 74 percent diversion rate achieved in 2003. At least $138,110 in landfill fees were saved due to the waste diversion activities. The company also donates surplus materials including office equipment, etc. to qualified local nonprofit organizations. Agilent is proud of the success achieved thus far in its waste reduction and recycling efforts and intends to continually improve upon its performance and be an industry leader in this area. WRAP award winner from 2000 through 2005 (6 years). www.agilent.com

Byers' LeafGuard Gutter Systems (Grass Valley, Nevada County) is a full service, seamless, custom-fit gutter contractor that provides a "no clog" guarantee to their customers. The company covers most of Northern California with low emission/fuel efficient sales vehicles, saving both kinds of "green." Byers' also works with a firm that picks up metal gutters that they remove from clients' homes, and recycles them. An impressive 203.89 tons of metal, scraps and cardboard were diverted from Nevada County's limited and precious landfill in 2004. An equally attractive figure of $13,938.73 in savings is what Byers' LeafGuard Gutter System has to show for their efforts in this past year alone! WRAP award winner from 2001 through 2005 (5 years). www.leafguard.com

Safeway Inc. (Pleasanton, Alameda County) is one of the largest retail grocery companies in North America operating 557 California stores (Safeway—241 and Vons—315). Vons has conducted a composting program for green waste at its stores since 1995. This program has been expanded into Safeway's Northern California Division. Cost savings resulted as a reduction in waste disposal and landfill costs. Last year, the two divisions diverted 210,926 tons from landfill disposal by composting and recycling. In addition, Safeway diverted other materials from landfills including corrugated cardboard, plastic, meat waste, metal, paper, and glass through recycling programs. WRAP award winner from 1999 through 2005 (7 years). www.safeway.com

Trinchero Family Estates (St. Helena, Napa County) has six facilities in Amador, Napa & San Joaquin counties. Trinchero is a Napa Valley wine company, owned and operated by the Trinchero family since 1948. The wine company, the fifth largest in the United States, produces the wines of Sutter Home, Trinchero, Montevina, Trinity Oaks, Folie a Deux, Menage a Trois, Three Thieves, and Fre, and imports Reynolds Vineyards and Boomey wines of Australia. Trinchero Family Estates practices sustainable farming in the vineyards and innovative waste reduction at all of its winery facilities, including the reuse of 50,000,000 gallons of wastewater and composting 24,000 tons of pumice and 1,000 tons of diatomaceous earth. This year, the winery upgraded three of its bottling lines to accommodate bulk glass, eliminating a significant volume of extra packing materials, such as cartons and shrink-wrap, which previously needed to be processed for recycling. The result is an annual reduction of 850 tons in corrugated material and 100 tons of plastic shrink-wrap, realizing a cost savings of $750,000. WRAP award winner from 2000 through 2005 (6 years). www.tfewines.com

Walser's (Torrance, Los Angeles County) Walser's is a family-owned business, which has been in operation for 30 years. Walser's has over 22,000 square feet of combined retail, imaging center, and warehouse space. Walser's encourages reuse by allowing customers to take store displays no longer needed by the business. One of Walser's most successful waste recycling activities this year has been the recycling of cardboard and paper waste, along with plastic, glass bottles, and cans. Now that Walser's sells novelty and unusual beverages, Walser's collects an even greater amount of cans and bottles from employees and customers. From the money earned from recycling these containers, Walser's is able to have a Holiday feast for all of their employees and families. Walser's does this not only to reward their employees for a job well done, but also to recognize their recycling efforts. Walser's added plastic tote bins for recycling paper materials. Their contribution to these bins continues to add up to hundreds of pounds per week. Employees have gone to such efforts as to voluntarily bring items from their homes to contribute to the program instead of disposing of them. As of yet, a recycle collection for commercial facilities has not yet provided in this area, so the owners transport items to their homes for the residential recycle collection. Walser's diverted nine tons of solid waste and provided a cost savings estimated to be over $3,000. WRAP award winner from 1999 through 2005 (7 years). www.walsers.com

Last updated: March 06, 2008