WASHINGTON—The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries is calling for entries for its 2016 Design for Recycling Award.
According to the association, it is the highest award given annually to the most outstanding contribution to products designed with recycling in mind. ISRI said it recognizes proactive steps made by manufacturers who have actively incorporated DFR principles into products and processes.
“The Design for Recycling Award recognizes those manufacturers that go above and beyond to ensure their products can be recycled in a safe and responsible manner,” ISRI President Robin Wiener said.
Wiener said the effort “begins at the very early stages of a product's design. It includes making sure a product can be recycled from both economic and environmental standpoints, and with no safety risk to recyclers.
“While recyclers would like to see more manufacturers take this approach, we are encouraged that since the inception of this award, the competition has increased each year.”
ISRI began the award more than 25 years ago. Previous winners include Cascades Fine Papers Group, Coca-Cola Recycling Co., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Dell Inc., and last year's winner, LG Electronics.
To be eligible for the Design for Recycling Award, a product must be designed/redesigned and manufactured to:
• Contain the maximum amount of materials that are recyclable.
• Be easily recycled through current or newly designed recycling processes and procedures.
• Be cost effective to recycle whereby the cost to recycle does not exceed the value of its recycled materials.
• Be free of hazardous materials that are not recyclable or impede the recycling process.
• Minimize the time and cost involved to recycle the product.
• Reduce the use of raw materials by including recycled materials and/or components.
• Have a net gain in the overall recyclability of the product while reducing the overall negative impact on the environment.
Interested parties can enter online before the Jan. 15, 2016 deadline. The winner will be announced at the ISRI 2016 Convention and Exposition April 2-7 in Las Vegas.
Washington-based ISRI represents more than 1,600 companies in 21 chapters nationwide that process, broker and industrially consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics and textiles. The institute also provides safety, education, advocacy and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development.