PUMP Wins Zero Waste Award!

Lindsay Cashman Access to Health + Wellness, Active + Engaged Residents, Advocacy, Featured Advocacy, Kickball for a Cause, PSL, Recreation, Signature Events, Social

For the second year in a row, PUMP was recognized for excelling at reducing waste at Kickball for a Cause. PUMP diverted  87% of the 2018 event’s waste from the landfill to earn a Silver Zero Waste Award from Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) – an increase from 2017 when we diverted 85%. We are honored to have been in great company of other organizations and individuals working diligently to reduce their waste!

At a February 21st reception held at Construction Junction, PRC presented its fourth annual Zero Waste Event and Business Awards to environmental leaders in recognition of their commitment to adopting sustainable environmental practices and diverting waste through recycling, composting and reuse.

“PRC’s Zero Waste Pennsylvania program provides special events, commercial businesses and institutions with vital waste reduction assistance,” said PRC Western Regional Director Justin Stockdale.  “We’re pleased to recognize the accomplishments of those committed to preserving the environment, and we applaud the efforts of this year’s class of honorees for their outstanding leadership, innovation and dedication.”

At the awards ceremony/celebration, the honored events and businesses received recognition of their commitment to zero waste principles and Stephanie Barger, director of market transformation & development for the TRUE Zero Waste certification, served as keynote speaker.

2018 ZERO WASTE AWARD RECIPIENTS:

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Recognizing events/institutions that diverted a significant percentage of waste in 2018

PLATINUM (95% or more waste diversion)

  • Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh IMPACT 2018, Bour Associates
  • Environmental Charter School 10th Anniversary Campfire, Bour Associates
  • Richard S. Caliguiri Great Race, City of Pittsburgh Office of Special Events
  • Steel Chef Cookoff, Focus on Renewal and Sustainable Pittsburgh

GOLD (90%- 94% waste diversion)

  • Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc.
  • EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler, P3R
  • Hollow Oak Land Trust BrewHaha
  • Mt. Lebanon Earth Day, LeboGreen.org
  • Patagonia Grand Opening Party, Patagonia Pittsburgh

SILVER (75% – 89% waste diversion)

  • ALOCSAN Open House
  • Kayafest, Kaya Restaurant/Big Burrito Group
  • Kickball for a Cause, PUMP
  • MS Walk, National MS Society
  • Steel City Big Pour, Construction Junction
  • Three Rivers Arts Festival, Cultural Trust
  • TriBoro EcoBlast Pool Party, TriBoro EcoDistrict

BRONZE (60% – 74% waste diversion)

  • Colfax Carnival, Colfax PTO
  • ALS Walk
  • Deutschtown Music Festival
  • Night at the Topics, National Aviary

ZERO WASTE EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

Recognizing exemplary dedication to principles of zero waste

  • PITTSBURGH CONROY EDUCATION CENTER RECYCLING PROGRAM – Pittsburgh Public Schools
    • PRC partnered with Conroy to procure recycling bins and toters for the school through support from the Buhl Foundation, and the program has since blossomed under the leadership and innovation of Conroy teacher Sean Kramer. As part of its school-based vocational training program, Conroy teaches work skills in all kinds of areas, including food service, sanitation, and recycling. Through a comprehensive training program, Sean has not only created a curriculum standard for proper recycling and waste sorting, but has helped the school achieve its own high waste diversion rate.
  •  DAVID L. LAWRENCE CONVENTION CENTER
    • Since 2003, the David L Lawrence Convention Center has raised the standard for Pittsburgh’s sustainable building and operations, as the first LEED Gold Certified New Construction convention center in 2003, again as a Platinum Certified building under LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations + Maintenance, and as a LEED Platinum certified building under the Commercial Interiors (CI) rating system in April 2013.  The convention center recycles the traditional plastics, aluminum, glass, cardboard, paper, newspaper and wood, as well as batteries, sod, water and food. It purchases recyclable products and goods, 57% post-consumer recycled hand towels, 50% post-consumer recycled toilet paper, use biodegradable plates and flatware, as well as china and cloth wherever possible.
  •  FOOD RECOVERY HEROES – University of Pittsburgh
    • In the words of Nick Goodfellow, Sustainability Coordinator for Pitt Dining Services “The Food Recovery Heroes are an invaluable member of the Pitt service and sustainability community. Over the years they have worked to recover more than 28,000 lbs of surplus food from campus since 2014 and through doing this have raised awareness with the Pitt Dining culinary teams around food waste. Beginning in 2014 their work got other students thinking about food waste and inspired a student initiative around food waste composting. They are now moving forward with a compost program expansion to compost 50% of food waste by 2025.”