2011 AF&PA recycling awards contest underway

Entries are now being sought for the 2011 American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Recycling Awards, recognizing outstanding business, community and school paper recycling programs.

Thanks to the efforts of millions of Americans who recycle paper every day, more paper (by weight) is recovered for recycling from municipal solid waste streams than glass, plastic and aluminum combined. In 2009, a record-high of 63.4 percent of the paper used in the United States was recovered for recycling. That’s the equivalent of 325 pounds for each man, woman, and child in this country. The AF&PA Recycling Awards offer an opportunity for the industry to recognize those engaged in successful paper recycling programs, and to share their best practices with a national audience.

Paper recycling is a great environmental success story. Recycling paper reclaims a valuable commodity and improves the environment by removing paper from landfills. In fact, every ton of paper recovered for recycling saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space. Through the AF&PA Recycling Awards, the industry recognizes and thanks communities, schools, and businesses who share our goal of increasing the recovery of this renewable and sustainable resource.

Organizations with award-winning programs each receive a $2,000 cash prize, a piece of original paper art and are promoted in local and national media outlets. Details regarding award descriptions, criteria, and entry forms are available on the paperrecycles.org website. The deadline for entries is February 10, 2011.

Separate AF&PA Recycling Awards are given for business, community and school (kindergarten – 12th grade) programs.