La Terra Fina and Emerald Packaging Honored
Competitive Advantage Cited as Top Reason for Going Green

(Oakland, CA) At a recognition event on October 16, local public agency StopWaste.Org honored twelve Alameda County companies with the 2009 StopWaste Partnership Business Efficiency Awards for outstanding achievements in enhanced operational efficiency, environmental performance and waste reduction.

The winners are: Bayer HealthCare, LLC (Berkeley), 555 12th Street by Shorenstein Realty Services (Oakland), Boston Scientific Corporation (Fremont), Carl Zeiss Meditec (Dublin), Costco Wholesale Livermore, La Terra Fina (Union City), Golden Gate Fields Racetrack (Albany), Lucky Supermarkets (Alameda county stores), and the U.S. Postal Service’s Oakland Processing and Distribution Center.  Emerald Packaging (Union City), Heat and Control, Inc. (Hayward) and Peterson Holding Company (San Leandro) received Honorable Mentions.

Speaking to a full house, StopWaste.Org Executive Director Gary Wolff praised the leadership demonstrated by the recognized firms and emphasized their competitive advantage. “The companies we are honoring today are not only saving money and protecting the environment,” Wolff said. “By making their operations more efficient, often involving the entire supply chain, these forward-thinking businesses have significantly reduced their vulnerability to economic shocks. In today’s economic climate, that’s valuable.”

The 2009 award winners substantiate industry experts’ claim that environmental responsibility positively impacts the bottom line. The U.S. Postal Service’s Oakland Processing and Distribution Center, for instance, has realized annual savings of $90,000 through increased recycling and waste prevention efforts. Boston Scientific Corporation has slashed their disposal services bill by 50%. Expanding efficiency efforts beyond their own company, Bayer HealthCare LLC is working intensively with their suppliers while Costco Livermore is promoting their successful waste reduction program companywide.

About the 2009 Award Winners from Union City and their Achievements

La Terra Fina
Achievements:
•            Prevent waste by using reusable metal bins
•            Collect food waste for composting
•            Recycling paper, cardboard, plastic drums and bottles and cans
•            Average over 276 tons diverted per year
•            Energy conservation efforts

HONORABLE MENTION:
Emerald Packaging
Achievements:
•            Prevent waste by switching from disposable to reusable cores for rolls of plastic film
•            Divert 70% of company waste
•            Recycle 900 tons of plastic waste per year
•            Work with clients to design less wasteful and biodegradable packaging

About the StopWaste Partnership and the Business Efficiency Awards
The StopWaste Partnership, a program of public agency StopWaste.Org, is a free technical assistance program has helped hundreds of Alameda County companies reduce the waste they produce, conserve energy and natural resources, and cut company costs through education, grants and expert advice from sustainability professionals. The StopWaste Partnership Business Efficiency Awards honor medium and large Alameda County businesses whose leadership and continuous efforts to improve environmental performance and business efficiency have achieved outstanding results. Celebrated for the10th consecutive year, these competitive awards are highly regarded throughout the region and sought after by Alameda County businesses for their prestige within the green business community. For more information visit www.stopwaste.org/partnership or call Justin Lehrer at (510) 891-6529.