Businesses small and large across King County are being honored for their commitment to recycling and waste prevention – diverting tons of recyclable materials from the landfill and saving resources, including 13 in Kirkland.
The King County Solid Waste Division and Executive Dow Constantine are honoring 112 Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling this year, recognizing businesses and organizations that are going the extra mile to reduce waste and increase recycling.
The Kirkland organizations being honored are Allyis, BladeGallery’s Epicurean Edge, Chameleon Technologies, Inc., CHOICE Insurance LLC, city of Kirkland, Eastside Community Aid Thrift Shop, EvergreenHealth, Google Inc., Landis+Gyr, Neil Levinson Enterprises, Simplicity ABC, Simplicity Décor and Twelve Baskets Catering.
“These companies deserve special recognition for demonstrating their ingenuity and commitment in preventing waste,” Constantine said. “From composting in lunchrooms to reusing packing materials, they’re showing that sustainability can be simple and rewarding.”
The “Best Workplaces” list has been celebrating waste prevention and recycling in local businesses for nine years and features a wide array of businesses in King County, including hospitality, medical services, professional services, technology, retail, finance, government, arts and entertainment and others. Companies that have made the list five years in a row are recognized with an honor roll designation. This year, 29 businesses joined the “Best Workplaces” list for the first time.
Last year, businesses in King County sent more than 200,000 tons of recyclable materials to the landfill. Businesses of all sizes are looking for ways to decrease this number. For example, Boeing worked with a supplier to reuse and recycle protective floor panels from the 737 line in Renton, reducing waste by over 50 tons annually.
All businesses operating in King County outside the city of Seattle are eligible for the list. To qualify, businesses must meet five basic criteria, as well as 10 additional waste reduction and recycling criteria. To see the complete list, visit www.kingcounty.gov/recyclemore, and click on the link.
