Recycle Florida Today announces 2024 Environmental Sustainability Awards

Recycle Florida Today, the state’s premiere recycling organization, has announced the 2024 Environmental Sustainability Awards for Outstanding Public and Private programs. 

Through the Environmental Sustainability Awards, Recycling Florida Today recognizes outstanding programs in recycling and environmental sustainability. The awards for public and private entities are granted to organizations that display an increased awareness of the importance of sustainability and the ability to motivate others to maximize recycling, composting, waste reduction and sustainability efforts. 

RELATED: 3 Florida counties honored as recycling leaders 

Collier County, Florida, has received the Outstanding Public Program of the Year and Overall Outstanding Program of the Year award. 

Collier County’s awareness campaign included traditional and online communication channels as well as participation in special events, the release of how-to videos and more. The county is ranked second in Florida for recycling, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Solid Waste Report. 

“We are very proud of the work Collier County, Florida, is doing to encourage increased participation in county-wide recycling programs,” Recycle Florida Today Executive Director Heather Armstrong says. “The Preserve Our Paradise – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle awareness campaign is making a measurable difference in the amount of materials collected for recycling within Collier County.” 

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida LLC (Coke Florida) has received the Outstanding Private Program of the Year award. 

Coke Florida is a Coca-Cola bottler that operates within 47 counties from Jacksonville to The Keys. The company’s sustainability program incorporates a focus on waste reduction, which GreenCircle Certified has recognized with its Zero Waste to Landfill certification. Through operational processes, Coke Florida says it diverts 100 percent of waste away from landfills for reuse and recycling. The four manufacturing facilities in the company’s network, which are in Tampa, Orlando, Broward and Jacksonville, have received GreenCircle designations. 

“We’re also proud to recognize Coke Florida for their outstanding work toward sustainability,” Armstrong says. “Their recognition as a GreenCircle Zero Waste to Landfill program focuses on four sustainability focus areas: recycling, water stewardship, resiliency, litter and waste reduction.”