Waste not, win green award: Environmentally friendly companies honored

By Isaac Guerrero

BusinessRockford.com

Going green isn’t just a catchphrase at J.L. Clark, a Rockford manufacturing fixture.

It’s a business philosophy.

The company, a maker of decorative tin and plastic containers, and seven others were honored this evening by the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District with Green Business awards at the Rockford Park District Webbs Norman Center.

The Rockford manufacturing firm won top honors last year in the large business category and nabbed special recognition this year for its continued excellence and commitment to energy efficiency and green-minded business practices.

“We’re doing a lot of things to reduce the weight of our packaging, using thinner wall plastics and lighter steel,” said Tim Fray, the company’s director of information technology. “We’ve changed our ordering procedures so we’re using rail to ship in a lot of our supplies and eliminate the need for trucking. We recycle our plastic and metal scrap and whatever else we can so it doesn’t go to the landfill — that’s the key."

Twenty-nine nominations were reviewed by a steering committee representing a diversity of organizations, small businesses and large manufacturers. Winners received a plaque made from wafers of local red cedar trees felled in a storm.

The event doubled as an expo as 27 of the nominees set up booths to showcase their green products and efforts before and after the award ceremony.

Anderson Packaging won the large business category and was recognized as a leading industry in waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency and community involvement.

Through strategic plant shutdowns, the company is better managing its electricity usage and is saving 1,580,000 kilowatt-hours a year. That’s the equivalent of planting 138 acres of trees or taking 111 cars off the road annually.

Reach Assistant Business Editor Isaac Guerrero at iguerrero@rrstar.com or 815-987-1394.

Green Business award winners
Large business category: Anderson Packaging

Small-medium business: First Hand Harvest LLC, a small business that produces sustainably, naturally grown vegetables for direct sale to Winnebago County residents through a cooperative enterprise.

Green public policy award: No Idle Zone initiative, which encourages drivers to change their driving habits.

Large organization: Rockford Park District, which adopted an environmental policy in 2004 that has resulted in many green-minded initiatives and business practices.

Small-medium organization: Rockford Computers for Schools, a nonprofit group started 12 years ago that refurbishes discarded computers and supplies them to schools in the Rock River Valley.

Green building: Willowbrook Middle School, an environmentally-friendly school designed by McClellan Blakemore architects.

Honorable mention: Spring Creek Development for its East Riverside Retail Center, which features a 90-ton geothermal HVAC system.

Special recognition for continuing excellence: J.L. Clark for its extensive recycling and green-minded business operations.