Kenworth Renton Plant Wins Recycling Award

Kenworth Truck Company's manufacturing plant in Renton, Wash., has been honored with the 2009 Best Workplace for Recycling and Waste Reduction Award from King County's Solid Waste Division.

The company was recognized for its outstanding efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle.

"The Kenworth Renton plant is committed to waste reduction, conserving natural resources, and protecting the environment," said Marilyn Santangelo, Kenworth assistant general manager for operations.

"Our environmental program is of special importance, and it is especially gratifying to receive this award for our significant accomplishments," added Reid Nabarrete, the Renton plant manager.

The plant has implemented an on-site vehicle no-idle policy, as well as a zero waste to landfill goal. The facility's recycling efforts have prevented nearly 80 percent of all material from going to landfills. To achieve these goals, the company places recycle bins throughout the plant, uses returnable shipping containers, reduces packaging material, and segregates waste streams. The plant also uses food waste composting in its cafeteria, sending waste to Cedar Grove Composting in Renton for recycling into usable compost.

This past spring, the Renton plant received the King County Commitment-to-Compliance Award for achieving five consecutive years of outstanding compliance with the plant's industrial wastewater discharge permit. This was the plant's second consecutive Commitment-to-Compliance Award.