City of Kent officials named the local headquarters of Recreational Equipment Inc. Friday as the Kent Green Business of the Year for the second consecutive year.

The Kent City Council will recognize the business at the Council's next meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Kent City Hall.

REI has done even more to establish itself as a leader in green-business practices since winning the award last year, according to a press release from the city.

The Kent-based company recycles 60 percent of its waste and has implemented numerous new waste-reduction techniques and demonstrates a strong commitment to buying recycled-content products, according to city officials.

“We’ve made great strides in measuring our total waste and are using this data to make targeted reductions throughout our operations," said Kevin Hagen, REI’s director of corporate social responsibility, in the media release. "These efforts are part of our long-term goal to become a zero-waste-to-landfill company by 2020.”

REI focuses on different areas of the business that help minimize the co-op’s environmental footprint. The company concentrates on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption, sustainable design and planning in new construction, and best practices for how products are made and packaged.

The REI company headquarters are at 6750 S. 228th St.

The city has awarded the Kent Green Business of the Year since 2000. Previous winners include REI, Worldwide Distributors, Emerald City Graphics, Staples Store No. 1357, Mikron Industries and Panasonic Services Company.

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