MVP2 Award Presentation 2014

2014 MVP2 WinnersThe 2014 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) awards presented by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) celebrate the successes of innovators in the areas of pollution prevention and sustainability. The MVP2 awards are presented annually during National Pollution Prevention (P2) Week.

The 2014 MVP2 recipients represent a broad range of backgrounds including academia, industries, non- profits and individuals that have demonstrated significant accomplishments in pollution prevention. Together, these programs and projects reduced hazardous materials by 2.2 million pounds, non-hazardous materials by 919,000 pounds, water use by 86.5 million gallons, air emissions by 2 million pounds, and energy use by 5.8 million kWh, saving these companies a total of over $3 million according to NPPR. These prestigious awards were presented at a ceremony in Washington, DC on September 17, 2014.

Awards are presented in five categories.

Phyllis Strong with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency took home the award for P2 Champion.

Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Audree Miller, with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

This year’s winners for the Projects/Programs Award: Crown Equipment, Dassault Falcoln Jet, Eco Chemical, GM – Toledo, IBM Vermont, Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute, Madison Precision Products, Prince William County Fire & Rescue, PVI Industries, SABIC, Saint-Gobain Corporation, and Washing Systems.

Honorable Mentions went to Cintas Corporation, GOJO Industries, IBM Fishkill, Maryland Department of Environmental Protection, Phoenix Contact, Pratt & Whitney, and SABIC.

One of the award winners, General Motors’ Toledo transmission manufacturing facility, has committed to making pollution prevention and recycling a facility-wide priority. The plant’s effective energy conservation program was implemented as part of its “drive to zero” program. The program was recognized by the U.S. EPA for lowering greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 percent and subsequently avoiding nearly 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

GM Toledo hosts the largest rooftop solar array in the state of Ohio and uses landfill gas, which combined provide 19% of the facility’s energy use from renewable energy sources.  GM Toledo is also a landfill free facility, sending no waste from daily operations to landfill – all waste is reused, recycled or converted to energy.

Screen Shot 2014-09-26 at 10.41.38 AM

“Our reductions in carbon emissions from improved energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives at the Toledo facility are made possible through the ongoing collaborative work with local utilities, state and local environmental service organizations and other private businesses,” said Laura Bartling, GM’s Midwest environmental group manager. “They’ve demonstrated what can be achieved through a holistic and community-engaging approach at reducing our environmental footprint.”

This year marks the first year of the Fred Granek P2 Ambassador Award, in memory of Fred Granek of the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention. The Fred Granek P2 Ambassador Award was awarded to Bruce Taylor of Enviro-Stewards, Inc.

For more information on the MVP2 Awards and NPPR, visit www.p2.org