BFI Waste Services Announces 2008 Curbee Recycling Award Winners

       November 4, 2008...BFI Waste Services today announced the winners of its 2008 Curbee Recycling awards. The Curbee Awards recognize outstanding business and community organizations for their innovative waste reduction and environmental protection programs. Each award winner was recognized at the Salinas City Council meeting and presented with a special award for their accomplishments.

     The award winners were selected for programs that contribute to the City's efforts to reduce waste from our landfills and conserving natural resources. "It's our job and commitment to see that Salinas Recycles, and we know we can't do it alone," said Doug Kenyon, general manager for BFI Waste Services. "Companies who take the initiative - such as the local award winners we announced today - really make a difference in the quality of our City's environment."

CHISPA: Their mission statement is to enhance the quality of life and create a socially and economically healthy living environment on the Central Coast. From the very beginning a partnership was established with L & D Construction to bring Sherwood Village full circle. Over 212 mattresses were recycled from the Rodeo Inn by paying St. Vincent’s De Paul $5.00 each to pull the foam, cotton, steel and wood from each mattress. All Rodeo Inn’s furniture was donated to Rancho Cielo and the Travel Lodge furnishings went to the Salvation Army. Approx. 75% of the concrete and demolition waste was recycled with an overall astounding diversion amount of approx. 95%. Chispa truly lives up to their mission statement -“a healthy living environment on the Central Coast” and a true community partner.

Hartnell College: Hartnell is the largest source separated educational institution within the city limits. Thirty mixed recycle carts placed throughout the campus, yard waste and metals are recycled and cardboard containers are a familiar site on Homestead Ave. The strategic planning to make sure the process runs smoothly is a time consuming process, but administration, faculty and students have pulled together to create an environmentally friendly college by promoting the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle.

Monterey County Housing Authority:  Long before it became the “environmentally correct thing to do”, the Monterey County Housing Authority got on the bandwagon and hosted a recycling kick-off at Laguna Hacienda in October of 2006.  Educational recycling materials and flowers were given to the residents as they began a new recycling adventure. Since then, a partnership has thrived between BFI and the Housing Authority as both have partnered with Ecology Action of Santa Cruz in a multi-million dollar grant from the Department of Conservation to promote and expand recycling in low-income multifamily housing units.  Forty individual housing locations are awarded kick-off fiestas, recycling education, individual bins, mixed recycling containers for each complex and a majority of the complexes are located in Salinas.  This is truly a partnership that has evolved into enormous potential for the residents of Salinas.

Outback Steakhouse:  This community-involved restaurant began recycling cardboard in 2001 and has never looked back.  “A few components make recycling a value at Outback.” states Mark Koler, General Manager at Outback.  “First, it makes good business sense to reduce the amount of waste and thus lowering our trash bill.  Second, we have become an environmental community partner and continue to encourage our employees and families to make a difference by reducing their own consumption.

”We congratulate each of this year's Curbee Award winners," said Cindy Rogers, recycling community affairs manager for BFI.  "Annually, business waste accounts for half of the materials potentially headed for the County's landfills.  Every winner of the award has done an outstanding job of finding new uses and recycling opportunities for their surplus materials.  That kind of dedication translates into savings for both the environment and their bottom line."

BFI Waste Services, a subsidiary of Allied Waste Industries, Inc. and the second largest solid waste company in the nation, began working with the City of Salinas in July 2001.  Allied Waste provides residential, commercial, and industrial services to more than ten million customers in locations throughout the continental United States and Puerto Rico.

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