Eastside businesses make King County’s best-recyclers list

King County’s Solid Waste Division honored In Harmony Sustainable Landscapes of Bothell, Northshore Utility District of Kenmore and The Herbfarm of Woodinville as part of its 50 local companies for the second-annual “Best Workplaces for Recycling” list — more than twice as many companies as last year.

These businesses are being recognized for strong internal recycling programs and for their commitment to making recycling a priority for their companies.

The list encompasses a wide array of businesses in King County — companies as big as Google and Coca Cola, and some businesses that are just starting out. This year’s list has seen growth in companies that have reduced waste through successful food scrap recycling programs such as The Herbfarm.

“Food scrap recycling is an easy way for our business to reduce waste, save money and help the environment,” said Carrie Van Dyck at The Herbfarm restaurant. “Now that we have a system in place, recycling is easy for employees and a source of pride for our business.”

In Harmony’s advice to others, as noted on the King County Web site: “Get as many people on board with ideas and input. Most of our recycling efforts were built around our people’s ideas and efforts.”

Northshore Utility District’s message: “What makes Northshore’s recycling program successful is our effort to invite all staff to participate. We work hard to create an environment in which all employees are encouraged to make suggestions that better our workplace, our community and our planet.”

Each year, businesses in King County send more than 240,000 tons of recyclable materials to the landfill. By providing a recycling-friendly workplace, companies can dramatically increase their recycling rate, ultimately saving money on their garbage bill. For example, in some businesses, just providing desk-side recycling containers has increased recycling rates from 25 percent to more than 80 percent.

To qualify as a “Best Workplace for Recycling,” companies must meet at least 10 criteria out of a list of 33 good business recycling practices—choices that range from placing recycling bins by every desk to collecting food scraps for on or off-site composting. The goal of the list is to recognize the top recyclers and help motivate others in the local business community to improve recycling practices.

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