California Product Stewardship Council names Arrow Award winners

The California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), Sacramento, has honored companies for their business models during the organization’s 11^th arrow awards ceremony. The award recognizes companies in California that take steps to exemplify product stewardship by redesigning products and work processes to prioritize sustainability. 

“The Arrow Award winners are leaders in their industries. They support business models that manage resources responsibly, protect the earth and provide jobs,” Doug Kobold, executive director of CPSC, says, “which means California companies, such as Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Sirius Signal, Rethink Disposal, and Refill Madness have made great strides when it comes to environmental achievements that minimize impact locally and globally.”

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is the recipient of the 2020 Golden Arrow Award for overall excellence in product stewardship. Sierra Nevada has implemented voluntary programs, such as on-site composting, comprehensive recycling and source reduction measures across its supply chain—all of which have a significant impact on the company’s environmental footprint and provide models of success for other industries, CPSC says.

Sirius Signal has received the 2020 Green Arrow Award for system and design innovations. The Green Arrow Award is given to an organization demonstrating an innovative system approach that removes or reduces toxic or other problematic attributes present in other similar products. Sirius Signal redesigned the marine distress signal to be safe, reusable and free of hazardous chemical exposure during use. Marine flares expire 42 months from manufacture, and California has no statewide collection or recycling program.

Rethink Disposable is the winner of the 2020 Bow & Arrow Award for coalition building and creative partnerships. Bow & Arrow recipients demonstrate synergistic relationships between producers, distributors, retailers, public agencies and other stakeholders, CPSC says. Through Rethink Disposal’s advocacy, the organization has built coalitions to reduce single-use plastic waste generation and promote reusables.

Refill Madness was presented with the 2020 Infinity Arrow Award for service and take-back. The company has initiated a take-back program and provides community services in Sacramento. Refill Madness offers packaging-free consumer goods, recycling collection for hard-to-recycle items (such as mascara wands, toothbrushes) plus legislative advocacy to drive waste reduction policies with producer responsibility, CPSC says.

In addition to Arrow Awards, CPSC has recognized the Tehama County Solid Waste Management Agency (TCSWMA) as 2020 Associate of the Year. Tehama County was instrumental in passing SB 212 for safe medicine and needle disposal at the state level and showed leadership by passing a local ordinance, which was later preempted by SB 212.

Gideon Kracov Law was recognized as the 2020 Sponsor of the year. Kracov has put forth time and energy toward the success and growth of the product stewardship movement, according to the organization.