[OKRA] OKRA won 2025 NRC Award

[Ellen Bussert]

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Congratulations to the members of the Oklahoma Recycling Association who
work hard year in and year out to promote recycling and waste reduction in
Oklahoma. See press release below.



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*PRESS RELEASE*



*CONTACT INFORMATION:*

Charlie Kamenides, Executive Director

Email:  nrcrecycles at gmail.com



Teresa Bradley, President, Board of Directors

Email:  teresa at racetozerowaste.org



*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

November 7, 2025
*National Recycling Coalition Announces 2025 Award Winners: A Record Year
of Innovation in Recycling, Organics Management, and Circularity*

*Wichita, KS — November 2025* — The National Recycling Coalition (NRC)
announced the recipients of the 2025 National Recycling Awards during the
National Recycling Congress, at Wichita State University, held October 1-3,
2025. The ceremony, led by Peter Adrian, of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake
County (SWALCO), celebrated the most forward-thinking and impactful
leaders, organizations, and programs advancing recycling, organics
management, and circularity across the nation.

This year marked a milestone for the NRC Awards Program, with *more than 60
nominations—the highest number in NRC history.* The breadth and creativity
of this year’s nominees reflected a national surge of innovation in waste
reduction, resource recovery, and community engagement.

Awards Chair Ann Gibbs commented, “The quality of nominations this year was
truly exceptional. We saw an incredible range of creative, practical, and
replicable solutions that are transforming recycling and circularity
nationwide. Choosing the winners was both inspiring and incredibly
difficult because the work being done across the country is so strong and
diverse.”

Peter Adrian, who served as the emcee for the in-person ceremony, echoed
that enthusiasm. “It was energizing to see so many leaders gathered to
celebrate real progress,” Adrian said. “These awardees aren’t just
maintaining recycling programs, they’re reinventing them. They’re turning
food waste into renewable energy, building equitable, community-led
systems, and proving that circularity isn’t just a goal, it’s the future of
sustainable development.”

This year’s winners represent a remarkable breadth of creativity and
measurable impact in advancing a circular economy. *Domtar’s Kingsport
Mill* was
recognized for transforming into Tennessee’s largest 100% recycled
containerboard facility—a model of industrial-scale circularity that
diverts hundreds of thousands of tons of recovered fiber annually. *Green
Era*, located on Chicago’s South Side, was honored for its pioneering urban
anaerobic digester that converts 85,000 tons of food waste into renewable
natural gas and compost while reinvesting in local jobs and workforce
training.

Educational leaders also shined: *Santa Monica College’s Sustainable
Materials Management Program* and *Salinas Valley Recycles* are preparing
the next generation of zero-waste champions through immersive, bilingual
education that equips students to lead sustainable change.
*earthday365* continues
to elevate regional circularity in St. Louis, diverting over 6,700 tons of
waste each year through restaurant certification, hard-to-recycle events,
and community engagement.

*Osceola County’s Responsible Recycling Osceola Program* earned national
praise for its multilingual outreach, glass pulverizer demonstrations, and
creative school partnerships that have reached over 40,000 residents. The
program’s success in reducing contamination and inspiring community pride
has positioned it as a scalable model for equitable, hands-on recycling
education.

For advancing state-level recycling policy and waste reduction, *Senator
Jana Hughes* was highlighted for her leadership on introducing legislation
to support battery stewardship and waste incentives.  She plays a critical
role in policy frameworks in enabling circular systems.

Finally, the prestigious *Lifetime Achievement in Recycling Award* was
presented to *Susan Kinsella*, Executive Director of *Conservatree* and
founder of the *Environmental Paper Network*. Kinsella’s decades of
leadership in sustainable paper and procurement have shaped national
policy, jumpstarted recycled paper markets, and united more than 250
organizations around the world in advancing responsible production and
reuse. Her work exemplifies the long-term vision and collaboration at the
heart of the recycling movement.

   - *Lifetime Achievement in Recycling – Susan Kinsella* – Executive
   Director of *Conservatree* and founder of the *Environmental Paper
   Network*, whose decades of leadership transformed recycled paper markets
   and sustainable procurement worldwide.
   - *Honorable Mention – Lifetime Achievement in Recycling – Diane Cohen* –
   Founder of Finger Lakes ReUse, a national leader in reuse innovation, job
   creation, and workforce development.
   - *Board Director of the Year – Teresa Bradley* – Recognized for
   outstanding leadership,  contributions, and dedication to advancing
   circularity and NRC’s mission.
   - *Recycler of the Year – Lisa Puckett* – CEO of BayArea Compliance,
   creator of the NETZERO360 program, and national leader in waste recovery
   and ESG-integrated compliance systems.
   - *Bill Heenan Emerging Leader Award – Delaney Demro* – Program Manager
   at SUNY ESF’s Center for Sustainable Materials Management, advancing TRUE
   Zero Waste certification and DEI-focused reuse initiatives.
   - *Outstanding Higher Education Program – Sustainable Materials
   Management Program at Santa Monica College (accepted by Victoria Charles)* –
   A pioneering community college program offering degrees and certificates in
   zero waste and sustainable materials management, building a vital workforce
   pipeline for the circular economy.
   - *Outstanding K–12 School Program – Salinas Valley Recycles (accepted
   by Sara Papineau-Brandt)* – Inspiring youth through field trips,
   classroom lessons, and Green Teams that teach recycling, composting, and
   environmental leadership across Monterey County, CA.
   - *Outstanding Not-for-Profit Business Leadership – earthday365
   (accepted by Jessica Watson)* – Drives regional circularity in St. Louis
   through large-scale public engagement, restaurant certification, and waste
   reduction programs that divert 6,700+ tons annually.
   - *The Fred Schmitt Award for Outstanding Corporate Leadership – Domtar
   Kingsport Packaging Mill (accepted by Jan Martin)* – Tennessee’s largest
   100% recycled containerboard facility, demonstrating industrial-scale
   circularity through recovered fiber, water efficiency, and local
   partnerships
   - *The Beth Brown Boettner Award for Outstanding Public Education &
   Outreach – Osceola County’s Responsible Recycling Osceola (accepted by Paul
   Conover & Nicole Enverga)* – A creative, multilingual education
   initiative engaging more than 40,000 residents through demonstrations,
   school partnerships, and art contests.
   - *Outstanding Recycling Innovation – Green Era (Chicago, IL)* –
   Operates the nation’s first large-scale urban anaerobic digester, turning
   85,000 tons of food waste into renewable energy and compost while
   reinvesting in workforce training.
   - *Outstanding Recycling Organization – Oklahoma Recycling Association
   (accepted by Jerry Schuber and Traci Phillips)* – Celebrated for three
   decades of education, outreach, and collaboration that advance recycling
   across Oklahoma.
   - *The Tim McClure Award for Outstanding Community or Government Program
   – Pennsylvania Resources Council’s Glass Recycling Program (accepted by
   Sarah Alessio Shea)* – Developed community-based glass recycling
   infrastructure, diverting over 4,200 tons of glass and supporting local
   jobs.
   - *Outstanding Elected Leader – Nebras**ka State Senator Jana Hughes* –
   Championed the Safe Battery Collection and Recycling Act and other
   initiatives strengthening Nebraska’s recycling and waste management systems.
   - *Outstanding Diversity Leadership – Terry Craghead (Fertile Ground
   Cooperative)* – Founded a worker-owned cooperative that transforms waste
   into community wealth while advancing equity and inclusion in Oklahoma City.

*HONORABLE MENTIONS: *

   - *Outstanding Not-for-Profit Business Leadership – Servolution Network* –
      Diverts over 50,000 pounds of household hazardous waste annually
by turning
      collected paint into “Re-Mix” paint for community restoration projects.
      - *The Beth Brown Boettner Award for Outstanding Public Education &
      Outreach – “Give a Hoot! Donate Your Loot!” Move-Out Campaign (Rice
      University)* – Diverted over 29,000 pounds of materials from
      landfills by repurposing student move-out donations for reuse
and recycling.
      - *Outstanding Recycling Organization – Nebraska Recycling Council
      (Kimberly Carroll Steward, Executive Director)* – Supports over 60
      communities by improving recycling infrastructure and reducing
      contamination across Nebraska.
      - *Bill Heenan Emerging Leader Award – Mrinali Kakamare and Nora
      Gerber* – Mrinali expanded recycling across North Carolina
      correctional facilities, while Nora grew the Can Fairy program to divert
      44,000 pounds of aluminum in Columbus, OH.

CONGRESS 2025 <https://t.e2ma.net/click/6td1yq/incpn0qb/ifa60yb>

*NRC Award Nominations
<https://t.e2ma.net/click/6td1yq/incpn0qb/y7a60yb>open in Summer  *
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