AWARDS

» Rick Best Environmental Advocacy Award

This award honors lifetime environmental stewardship achievements and recognizes individuals who effectively advocate for Earth's naturalsystems. The award is for achievements that go beyond reuse, recycling and composting to encompass air and water quality, resource protection, and climate protection.   

• 2024 (Anaheim) - David Bronner

• 2023 (Burlingame) - Paul Hawken

• 2022 (Oceanside) - Dana Gunders

• 2021 (Virtual) - Calla Rose Ostrander

• 2020 (Virtual) - Stiv Wilson

• 2019 (Rancho Mirage) - Ana Carvalho

• 2018 (Oakland) - The Honorable Nancy Skinner

• 2017 (San Diego) - Howard Levenson

• 2016 (Sacramento) - Scott Smithline

• 2015 (Los Angeles) - Rx Responsibility, Alameda County Board of Supervisors and Supervisor Nate Miley

• 2014 (San Jose) - Allen Hershkowitz

• 2013 (Pasadena) - Mark Murray

• 2012 (Oakland) – Annie Leonard

• 2011 (Coronado/San Diego) – Captain Charles Moore

• 2010 (Sacramento) – Heidi Sanborn

• 2009 (Rancho Mirage) – Wes Chesbro

• 2008 (Burlingame) – Ed Begley Jr.​

• 2007 (San Pedro) – Terry Tamminen, John Davis

• 2006 (San Jose) – David Tam

• 2005 (Los Angeles) – Darryl Young, Mike Paparian

• 2004 (Sacramento) – Bryon Sher

• 2003 (Ontario) – Rick Best

» Despina Kreatsoulas CRRA Service Award

The CRRA Board has renamed the Service Award, to celebrate Despina’s memory and honor those that provide the same level of integrity, value and service to CRRA. This award honors individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the association including contributions of time, expertise or resources that significantly exceeded expectations..

• 2024 (Anaheim) - Judy Erlandson

• 2023 (Burlingame) - Colleen Foster

• 2022 (Oceanside) - Debbi Dodson, Jill Buck

• 2021 (Virtual) - EFR Technical Council Executive Committee; Monica Devincenzi

• 2020 (Virtual) - Peter Slote, Despina M. Kreatsoulas

• 2019 (Rancho Mirage) - Rick Anthony

• 2018 (Oakland) - Shana McCracken and Rob Hilton

• 2017 (San Diego) - Cynthia Vant Hul

• 2016 (Sacramento) - Tracie Onstad Bills and Leslie Luckas

• 2015 (Los Angeles) - Bob Nelson

• 2014 (San Jose) - Mark Gagliardi

• 2013 (Pasadena) – Julie Muir

• 2012 (Oakland) – Lin King

• 2011 (Coronado/San Diego) – Roberta Miller

• 2010 (Sacramento) - Bob Hollis

• 2009 (Rancho Mirage) – Susan Collins

• 2008 (Burlingame) – Jacy Bolden and Laura Anthony

• 2007 (San Pedro) – Bill Worrell

• 2006 (San Jose) – Stephen Bantillo

• 2005 (Los Angeles) - San Francisco Department of the Environment

• 2004 (NRC/San Francisco) – Judi Gregory

• 2003 (Ontario) - John Davis, John Moore and Gigantic Idea (Shana and Lisa).

• 2001 (Pasadena) – Liz Citrino

» Recycler of the Year

This award honors individuals who have significantly contributed to resource conservation throughout their careers in California.

• 2024 (Anaheim) - William O’Toole

• 2023 (Burlingame) - Richard Valle

• 2022 - (Oceanside) - Will Bakx

• 2021 ( Virtual) - Tim Goncharoff

• 2020 (Virtual) - Kreigh Hampel

• 2019 (Rancho Mirage) - Curt Smith

• 2018 (Oakland) - Susan Katthcee and Tom Padia

• 2017 (San Diego) - Lynn France

• 2016 (Sacramento) - Susan Collins

• 2015 (Los Angeles) - John Davis

• 2014 (San Jose) - Richard Gertman

• 2013 (Pasadena) - Bob Besso

• 2012 (Oakland) - Monica Wilson/GAIA

• 2011 (Coronado/San Diego) - Timonie Hood

• 2010 (Sacramento) - Jack Macy

• 2009 (Rancho Mirage) - Tony Lisenko and Bill Mohoff - Sunset Waste Systems

• 2008 (Burlingame) - Bill Worrell

• 2007 (San Pedro) - Judi Gregory

• 2006 (San Jose) - Ron Grietzer

• 2005 (Los Angeles) - Gary Liss

• 2004 ((NRC/San Francisco) - Jacy Bolden

• 2003 (Ontario) - Rick Anthony

• 2002 (Oakland) - Heidi Sanborn

• 2001 (Pasadena) - Joan Edwards

• 2000 (Sacramento) - Ruth Galanter

• 1999 (San Francisco) - Kate Krebs

• 1998 (San Diego) - Rick Best

• 1997 (Monterey) - Pavitra Crimmel

• 1994 (Santa Barbara) Brooke Nash

• 1993 (Oakland) Dan Cotter

• 1992 (Long Beach) Mike Anderson

• 1990 (NRC/San Diego) Dan DeGrassi

• 1989 (Arcata) Maggie Gainer

• 1988 (San Diego) Kathy Evans

• 1987 (San Jose) Pat Miller

• 1986 (Irvine) Gary Liss

• 1984 (Santa Cruz) Rick Anthony

• 1980 (Fresno) Hal Conklin

• 1976 (Santa Barbara) Chuck Davis

» Dave Hardy Leadership in Organics Award 

Dave Hardy was instrumental in establishing the California Organics Recycling Council (CORC) and served as the Council’s first chair.  This award honors a business, government agency, or community-based organization that achieves excellence in the production, marketing and/or utilization of compost.

• 2024 - American Organics

• 2023 - City of Malibu

• 2022 - Republic Services, Otay Landfill Composting Services

• 2021 - Napa Recycling and Compost Facility

• 2020 - Mid Valley Disposal

• 2019 - Solana Center for Environmental Innovation

• 2018 - WM EarthCareTM

• 2017 - Matthew Cotton

• 2016 - Marin Carbon Project

• 2015 - City of San Diego Miramar Greenery

• 2014 - Monterey Waste Management District and Michelle Young, City of San Jose

• 2012 - Dave Hardy

• 2011 - Inland Empire Compost Authority

• 2008 - Mt. Vernon Recycling & Composting Facility (City of Bakersfield)

• 2006 - Z-Best Composting Facility, Gilroy

• 2005 - California Bio-Mass

• 2000 - City and County of San Francisco

» Next Generation Recycler Award 

This award honors a young individual or youth group that excels in promoting zero waste, waste prevention, reuse, recycling, or composting.

• 2024 - CSUN Climate Corp Fellows

• 2023 - Madison Manasse

• 2022 - RootDown LA

• 2021 - Neil Bajaj

• 2020 - Nicole Haynes

• 2019 - Local Leaders of the 21st Century Club

• 2018 - I Love a Clean San Diego's "The Think Blue Brigade"

• 2017 - SWPPP Internship

• 2016 - 4Rs Student Action Program

• 2015 - Cathedral City Community Gardening & Composting Program

• 2014 - Zero Waste Youth – USA

• 2012 - Go Green Initiative Association

• 2011 - Cathedral City Schools/SCAPECD

• 2008 - John Mulrow, Stanford University

• 2006 - Mona Abdi, Keamy High School

» Outstanding Construction & Demolition Recycling Award 

This award honors a business, government agency or community-based organization that has excelled in the reduction, reuse or recycling of construction and/or demolition debris.

• 2024 - Construction and Demolition Recycling Inc. (Formerly IRS)

• 2023 - PlaceMakers Inc.

• 2022 - City of Costa Mesa

• 2020 - Zanker Recycling

• 2018 - Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex and Transfer Station

• 2017 - San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

• 2016 - Mary Williams, San Francisco Department of the Environment

• 2014 - Zanker Recycling

• 2011 - Pena's Disposal Service

• 2008 - EPA Lifestyle Building Challenge

• 2006 - Sonrise Consolidated, Inc., Livermore

• 2005 - Pacific Builders, Arcata

• 2000 - Zanker Road Landfill

» Outstanding Edible Food Recovery Program

This award honors a business, government agency, or community-based organization that has excelled in implementing programs, practices or services that feed people with food that otherwise would not have been consumed by people.

• 2024 - Food Forward Inc.

• 2023 - Samaritan House

• 2022 - Food Cycle

• 2021 - UC Merced's Bobcat Eats Food Waste Awareness and Prevention Program

• 2020 - (4 recipients) Waste Not OC, Alameda County Community Food Bank, A La Carte Program and Food Forward

» Outstanding Household Hazardous Waste/Universal/Electronic Recycling Award  

This award honors a business, government agency or community-based organization that has excelled in end-of-life management of household hazardous waste, universal waste or electronic items.

• 2022 - Goodwill Industries of San Diego County

• 2021 - PaintCare California Program

• 2020 - Conservation Corps of North Bay & Zero Waste Sonoma

• 2019 - Costa Mesa Sanitary District

• 2018 - San Mateo County

• 2017 - Northern Recycling and Waste Services

• 2016 - City of Lancaster Recycling

• 2014 – City of Elk Grove, Special Waste Collection Center

• 2012 - Chula Vista Regional HHW Program

• 2011 - ReThinkWaste/SBWMA

• 2008 - San Luis Obispo IWMA - Take It Bake

• 2006 - Goodwill/VRS Electronics Reuse & Recycling Program, San Francisco

• 2005 - City of Burbank Recycle Center "Away with HHW"

• 2000 - Mendocino County "Hazmobile"

» Outstanding Practices in Venue/Event Resource Recovery  

This award honors operators of large (greater than 2,000 people per day) events or venues serving for excellence in implementing waste reduction, recycling and organics programs, innovative waste reduction programs, or other best practices in event or venue resource management. 

• 2024 - City of San Luis Obispo

• 2023 - University of Southern California / LA Memorial Coliseum

• 2022 - Ironman 70.3 Oceanside

• 2021 - Waste Busters

• 2019 - Sacramento Running Association

• 2018 - USC, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

• 2017 - City of San Jose, Integrated Waste Mangement, SJSU Move Out Team

• 2016 - Moscone Center

• 2015 - The Offset Project

• 2014 - Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament

» Outstanding School Recycling Program 

This award honors a school or an entity partnered with a school that has excelled in implementing programs and practices that reduce, reuse, recycle or compost resources that would otherwise have been wasted.

• 2024 - Youth 4 A Sustainable Future (Y4SF)

• 2023 - RethinkWaste Environmental Education Team

• 2022 - Castro Valley Sanitary District

• 2021 - Science Discovery

• 2020 - Jesse G. Sanchez School

• 2019 - Peninsula Sanitary Service and Stanford University

• 2018 - Don Reid, Chief Sustainability Officer at American River College

• 2017 - City of Palmdale on behalf of Palmdale School District, SAVES & Grace Resource Center

• 2016 - Desert Knolls Elementary School

• 2015 - City of Elk Grove Elementary School Recycling Program

• 2014 - Oceanside Zero Waste Schools

• 2011 - Central Costa Costa Solid Waste Authority

• 2006 - irecycle@school(link sends e-mail)- Education Center

• 2005 - County of Santa Cruz "Waste Free Schools"

» Outstanding Waste Prevention Award

This award honors a business, government agency, or community-based organization that has excelled in preventing waste, or has implemented procurement practices that prevent or reduce waste, such as procuring products that contain recycled content and/or are safer alternatives to toxic products they replace (as of 2020, this award category has been combined with the 'Closing the Loop" award).

• 2024 - CSU, Sacramento, Office of Sustainability

• 2023 - Stanford University - Cardinal Clean Program

• 2022 - The Plot

• 2020 - Habits of Waste

• 2019 - San Diego Food System Alliance

• 2018 - County of Orange, OC Waste & Recycling

• 2017 - (TIE) SIPSEE and The Refill Shoppe

• 2016 - Clean Water Fund/Clean Water Action

• 2015 - Boston Scientific, Fremont Clean & Green

• 2014 - Center for Development of Recycling

• 2012 - Grades of Green

• 2006 - BayROC 2006 Stop Junk Mail Campaign

• 2005 - American Honda Motor Corporation

• 2000 - Santa Clara County "Paperless Campaign"

» Outstanding Zero Waste or Recycling Program

This award honors a business, government agency, or community-based organization that has excelled in implementing comprehensive programs and services to reduce, reuse, recycle or compost resources that would otherwise have been wasted (this award has combined the previous "Zero Waste Achievement" and "Outstanding Recycling Program" awards).

• 2024 - City of Davis Recycling Program

• 2023 - Street Tree Revival

• 2022 - City of Oceanside’s Food Scraps Recycling Program

» Pavitra Crimmel Reuse Award 

Pavitra Crimmel was instrumental in championing the promotion and implementation of successful reuse programs. This award honors a business, government agency, or community-based organization that excels in the reuse of materials.

• 2024 - Patrick Henry High School

• 2023 - The ReUse People

• 2022 - BoatUS Foundation

• 2021 - GreenLynx, Reuse Alliance & Bay Area Deconstruction Workgroup

• 2019 - MedShare

• 2018 - iFixit

• 2017 - Yolo Division of Integrated Waste Management

• 2016 - Peter Mui

• 2015 - Urban Ore

• 2012 - City of Davis Recycling Program

• 2011 - MedShare

• 2007 - Monterey Regional Waste Management District

• 2008 - Building Resources (San Francisco)

• 2006 - From Our Feet, Palo Alto

• 2005 - Pavitra Crimmel (recipients: Sumi and Sukita Crimmel)

• 2000 - Whole HouseBuilding Supply, Palo Alto

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The following awards have been combined or retired as of 2020:

Zero Waste Achievement Award ~ This award honors a progressive business, government agency, community-based organization or school that has made the commitment to zero waste, implemented outreach programs and excelled toward the achievement of their zero waste goal. (**2020 and forward, please see the new Outstanding Zero Waste or Recycling Program award.)

• 2019 - MARS Petcare North America

• 2018 - San Francisco's Department of the Environment's School Education Program

• 2017 - Recology, San Mateo County

• 2016 - Monterey Regional Waste Management District

• 2015 - Oakland Recycles - Planning for Zero

• 2014 - Zero Waste San Diego

• 2013 - University of California, Irvine

• 2012 - Tania Levy

• 2011 - Kellogg Garden Products

• 2008 - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

• 2006 - Riccoh Electronics Inc., Tustin

• 2005 - Del Mar Fairgrounds

Outstanding Recycling Program ~  This award honors a business, government agency, or community-based organization that has excelled in implementing and carrying out a recycling and/or diversion program. (**2020 and forward, please see the new Outstanding Zero Waste or Recycling Program award.)

• 2019 - City of Santa Cruz

• 2018 - Global Green

• 2017 - Sharp HealthCare

• 2016 - County of Santa Cruz

• 2015 - Keep California Beautiful

• 2014 - San Joaquin Regional Conservation Corps

• 2012 - Gills Onion

• 2011 - Southern California Edison - Waste Not Program

• 2008 - City of Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Program

• 2006 - Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., South Gate

• 2005 - The SBM Group

• 2000 - City of Davis

Outstanding "Closing the Loop" Commitment ~ This award honors a business, government agency, community-based organization or school that has implemented an innovative program that features the procurement of products that reduce waste, have recycled content and/or are safer alternatives to toxic products (*as of 2020, this award has been combined with the Outstanding Waste Prevention award.)

• 2018 - Free Flow Wines

• 2017 - County of Santa Cruz

• 2016 - Goodwill Industries of San Diego

• 2015 - Armstrong World Industries

• 2012 - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

• 2011 - Green Team San Joaquin

• 2008 - Vetrazzo

• 2006 - Recycled Products Cooperative, Encinitas

• 2005 - Footprint Recyling, Arcata