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EPA Recognizes Partners for Major Waste and Chemical Reductions

Release Date: 03/23/2010
Contact Information: Latisha Petteway, [email protected], 202-564-3191, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is recognizing 71 universities, government agencies, and private companies for their environmental commitments to reduce waste under the agency’s WasteWise and National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) partnership programs.

The partners are being honored for environmental achievements to prevent and recycle waste, and for specific programs that go beyond current federal standards to reduce greenhouse gases and remove harmful chemicals.

“WasteWise and NPEP members continue to develop economically sustainable ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste,” said Matt Hale, director of EPA’s Office of Resource, Conservation and Recovery. “Last year’s partners reported that 11 million tons of materials that would otherwise be waste were eliminated from the waste stream or were recycled. This provides tremendous benefits to the environment.”

WasteWise inducted two of its members, Kitsap County, Wash. and NEC Electronics America, Inc., Roseville, Calif. into the WasteWise Hall of Fame for their sustained program performance over the years.

Since its inception in 1994, WasteWise partners have helped prevent and recycle more than 160 million tons of non-hazardous waste. Since 2004, NPEP partners have reduced 18 million pounds of priority chemicals, including lead and mercury.

WasteWise and NPEP are both voluntary programs with a combined total of more than 3,000 members from private and public organizations nationwide.

Information on WasteWise and NPEP 20-09 award winners: http://epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/wastewise/conf.htm