Recycling for the Good of the Environment

Recycling has become routine for us at wvawards.com. The Eugene/Springfield area, located in western Oregon, has always been environmentally conscious and the area has convenient recycling centers for our three biggest “waste” products, which are cardboard, plastic bags, and newspapers, which come as packaging from our suppliers. Others materials we need to recycle are packing peanuts, metal and plastic scraps, old catalogues, office paper, and occasionally, glass and acrylic pieces. Over time, we have gotten more efficient at reusing and recycling items, and our suppliers have improved the packaging so there is less waste.

The 3 biggest waste products are fairly easy to reuse or recycle. Newspapers are reused in shipping orders out to customers, the excess goes to the local Eugene Mission who has drop boxes all over the Eugene/Springfield area. Many of the cardboard boxes that our products come in, can be used to hold customers orders. Excess boxes are broken down and taken to one of two convenient recycling centers we have near by. They are Bring Recycling and Rexius Forest Products. Rexius Forest Products sets a wonderful example for businesses to recycle and protect the environment. They have drop boxes for a variety of recyclables. Most of our plaques, and trophy parts, come in plastic bags, so we have lots of them, and in many sizes. Some we reuse for customer products, but the rest go to the same recycling centers mentioned above.

Other waste products are in smaller quantities, so we don’t have to deal with them on a weekly basis, but can recycle them periodically. These include packing peanuts, which are either reused in shipping or donated to a local office supply place that gladly takes them. Metal and plastic scraps are mostly reusable, since we make a lot of small plates and labels. Office paper is accumulated in a 90 gallon plastic container and picked up when we have it full. Occasionally we have glass pieces that are damaged and those are recycled through the city pick up service. The few acrylic pieces that we discard, we have not found a source that will recycle them.

Another aspect of recycling has just begun in the awards industry. In very recent times, our suppliers are coming up with “Green” products. For example one supplier offers bamboo plaques. Bamboo is a “certified renewable resource,” so it is “the perfect award for environmentally conscious organizations.” Another supplier is offering plaques that are recycled wood from various sources. It’s great to see this happening in our industry.

Yet, another aspect of recycling is from the customer’s point of view: the accumulation of bowling trophies, or your children’s trophies over the years, for example. The good thing is that many people keep their awards for years, even a lifetime. But what do you do with old trophies, plaques and medals when you no longer want them? Some donation centers like Goodwill will take them. Occasionally you will find an awards shop that recycles them; you would need to call and ask. Some of these old awards can be used for humorous awards by putting a new engraved plate on them, and perhaps a new figure. Old plaques can be reused by replacing the old plate with a new plate, but I would advise caution. The old award should be in tip-top condition. Don’t insult your recipient with a dilapidated or outdated award. It can really spoil the awards event.

A Salute to a Long Time Customer

I must say a final good-by to a long time customer who passed away earlier this month (May 2009) of a heart attack. It will be brief and to the point, just as he was.

He came in the awards shop after Cross Country in the fall and Track & Field in the spring, always prepared with his typed list of top athletes receiving awards, and a box full of perpetual trophies and plaques to be engraved.

About 5 years ago, he came in looking very ill – he was so very thin – I knew something had to be terribly wrong. When I sincerely asked him how he was, he said “Fine!” rather gruffly. I never asked again about his health, although I learned later that he was fighting, and beating throat cancer.
It was interesting how much he told you without saying a lot. He was always upbeat about the athletes and always looking forward to more good seasons in the future. In more recent times, he would pay for the awards himself, noting only in passing, that the budget was tight.

And so, I salute you DeWayne Cantrall, for 33 years of teaching and coaching, for always being so positive, and for being a good person.

I still expect him to walk in the door to order his Track & Field awards. If I could ask him how he’s doing in the great beyond, he would say, “Fine!”