2024 Regional Pollution Prevention Recognition Awards | US EPA (2025)

EPA's P2 Regional Pollution Prevention Recognition Awards Program is an annual, voluntary, and non-monetary awards program that recognizes organizations whose P2 successes and practices exemplify environmental excellence and innovation.

Organizations that would like to be considered for a Regional Pollution Prevention Award should complete the online application questionnaire during the open nomination period every year. Learn more about the application window and process.

2024 Award Recipients by Region:

Region 4

• Nestle Purina Petcare, Hartwell Factory; Hartwell, Ga. for implementing several P2 projects in their facility focused on reducing water and energy usage. The company optimized their retort/reclaim system, closed off unused waterlines, reduced operation water pressure, and captured condensate in their boiler room. From 2022-23, these projects reduced water usage by 66,085,280 gallons, reduced energy usage by 2,403,889 kilowatt-hours, and saved $764,657.

• Evonik Corporation, Mobile Facility; Theodore, Ala. for implementing an Advanced Process Control (APC) project that optimized energy efficiency of their six chillers that varied in age and efficiency. By implementing this new system, the controller could consider the different water temperatures, respond more quickly to changes in demand, and optimize the flow of cooling water to the chillers. This project has decreased electricity usage by 3,216,000 kilowatt-hours per year and saved approximately $257,000 per year.

Region 5

• Vallourec Star, LP; Youngstown, Ohio for taking significant steps to manage chemical use through the implementation of their ChemSafe program which prioritizes the use of safer and more environmentally friendly chemicals in the workplace. The company tracks its program’s success by the number of high-risk chemicals that have been replaced with safer alternatives. In 2022, Vallourec achieved a 44.4% substitution rate. The company set a more aggressive goal in 2023 of a 70% substitution rate, but they actually achieved a greater than 90% substitution rate.

• GEOTEK; Stewartville, Minn. for investing in solvent recovery systems in 2022, 2023, and 2024, which allowed GEOTEK to recover and reuse waste acetone and lacquer thinner from coating waste. GEOTEK reduced hazardous coating waste by 71% between 2022 and 2023 with the addition of the solvent recovery system. The acetone recovery solvent system reduced hazardous waste by 22% between 2022 and 2023. In addition, the company was able to reduce the costs associated with disposal of hazardous coating waste by approximately 70%.

• Avantor Solon Manufacturing Center, Solon, Ohio for generating an LED light conversion project as a corporate-sponsored initiative to address greenhouse gas reduction goals. The company installed motion detectors, allowing lighting to automatically turn off when the work areas were not occupied. Additionally, the company replaced HVAC equipment with newer, more efficient units. Lastly, they implemented heating and cooling schedules to cycle based on times and zone locations when they were not occupied. These efforts reduced operational greenhouse gas emissions at the Solon site by 15%, helping Avantor reach its 2025 greenhouse gas reduction goal two years ahead of schedule.

Region 8

• Breckenridge Grand Vacations; Breckenridge, Colo. for the modifications made to their snow melt systems at their Grand Timber Lodge and The Grand Colorado on Peak 8 properties. The company leveraged artificial intelligence weather forecasting, which enhances the system's adaptability, allowing them to proactively adjust settings based on impending weather conditions. These projects resulted in a reduction of 752 Metric Tons of carbon dioxideper year, conserving 2,003 Million British Thermal Units of natural gas per month and approximately $46,203 in cost savings.

• Bridger Bowl Ski Area; Bozeman, Mont. for the reduction of electricity use through the installation of LED and motion activated lighting, an on-site 50 kW solar array and implementing a transit and carpooling incentive program that is free for guests and employees. Additionally, they eliminated exposure of a petroleum-based ski wax, which contained Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), by replacing it with WEND wax, which is a plant-based alternative. These projects resulted in annual savings of 76.3 Metric Tons of carbon dioxide and approximately $2,298 in annual cost savings.

• Revvity Inc.; Layfette, Colo. for the process improvements to the filtering and purification of primary materials used in manufacturing.  The improved solvent gradient purification method resulted in reduction of 43.5% in halogenated waste, 69.8% in solvent waste, and a 100% reduction in solid hazardous waste. This project resulted in a reduction of 12,990 pounds of hazardous materials and cost savings of approximately $125,000 in 2023.

Region 9

• La Nova Beauty; Reno, Nev. for using organic, eco-friendly, and ethically sourced beauty products; plastic-free products and equipment made of bamboo, aluminum, and straw; Paper Not Foil -- a sustainable alternative to hair foil made of construction waste; and rapidly renewable fiber bath tissue and paper towels. They also repurposed their glass jars and bottles to reduce waste. To curb resource consumption and save on utility bills, they installed LED lighting, sun-blocking window film, and low-flow faucet aerators throughout their salon.

• Carson City Toyota; Carson City, Nev. for switching to LED lighting, using non-toxic cleaning and building maintenance products, purchasing recycled paper, and installing low flow plumbing fixtures. They also adopted spill-kit procedures, avoided chlorinated solvents whenever possible, and adopted best practices for the storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

• The Pad; Henderson, Nev. for developing an environmental policy that covers energy, water, waste, pollution prevention, and transportation best practices. This climbing gym upgraded to energy-efficient lighting fixtures, switched to eco-friendly paper products and nontoxic cleaning supplies, swapped out their plumbing fixtures for low-flow aerators and showerheads, and offered a place to charge electric bikes.

• Alibi Ale Works; Incline Village, Nev. for using a dry hopping method, spunding valves, and carbon dioxide capture in their brewing process to reduce their carbon dioxide use and release for environmental protection and cost savings. Alibi Ale Works, saves 2,600 lbs./year of carbon dioxide using a closed loop cycle on site for carbon dioxide management. Capturing the carbon dioxide saves on the total cost of production and prevents greenhouse gas emissions.

• Salem Boys Auto; Tempe, Ariz. for installing new turf landscaping to reduce the amount of water they were using and switching to LED lights. They installed a water bottle filling station in their lobby that reduced the number of cups or disposable water bottles used. The company’s employees brought in reusable water bottles instead of using multiple disposable cups or single-use plastic water bottles.

• PAS Technologies; Phoenix, Ariz. for working under Environmental Management System 14001 to develop a metal bearing rinse water reuse system for plating processes that conserves water, reduces hazardous waste, and eliminates discharges to the Publicly Owned Treatment Works. They audited and improved environmental performance and worked to reduce air and water contaminants and ensured chemicals used complied with Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) restrictions.

• Zero Waste San Diego; San Diego, Calif. for offering free Fix-It Clinics that brought local tradespeople together with the community to share skills and teach neighbors to repair broken electronics, appliances, clothes, and other household items. Since 2016, they have hosted over 100 clinics across eleven neighborhoods in San Diego, kept 30,000 pounds of material out of landfills through repair, and built a dedicated and skilled volunteer team of twenty technicians and tradespeople, including many veterans. Fix-it Clinics expanded into Los Angeles County, demonstrating the scalability and demand for a replicable community repair framework that other communities can adapt to achieve success in sustainability and community engagement.

• Western Digital Technologies; Fremont, Calif. for demonstrating strong leadership in pollution prevention through comprehensive internal policies, supplier engagement, community involvement, and employee participation. They adopted stringent policies to minimize pollution by reducing emissions, conserving water, and minimizing waste. Their Environmental Management System adhered to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 standards, ensuring continuous improvement in environmental performance. Additionally, they monitored and reported greenhouse gas emissions with verified inventories to maintain transparency and accountability.

Region 10

• Micron Technology, Inc; Boise, Idaho for successfully implementing particulate matter reduction, energy efficiency projects, and partnering in the installation of renewable energy projects to reduce environmental impacts from their semiconductor manufacturing process and operations. Cumulatively, these in-house projects resulted in a greater than 85% reduction in particulates, 80% reduction in CO, and 70% reduction in VOCs, as well as energy savings of 19.5 million kilowatt-hours or 13.6 Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of avoided greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the Black Mesa renewable energy project is anticipated to annually produce 100,000,000 kilowatt-hoursof electricity, which is the equivalent to the to the annual energy consumption of approximately 8,500 average homes within Idaho Power’s service area.