Game Changing Partnerships in Sustainability Award Application 

This is NWRA’s premiere award in Sustainability. It celebrates a program, service or policy that delivers at a level so high it changes the standard for service delivery, the way people think about material recovery or environmental protection, or how sustainability is communicated – literally, a Game Changer for that community or audience.  The award equally celebrates the unique Partnership on which the program, service, or policy relies.

Applications are open to partnerships including municipal and county governments, regulatory agencies, community organizations and the private industry working to deliver game-changing sustainability in their community.

Sustainable programs deliver in the areas of environmental protection, economic viability, and accessibility. Examples of improved sustainability may include, but are not limited to, increased recycling participation, targeted recycling or reuse campaigns, innovative organics collection and management efforts, carbon emissions reductions, repurposing closed landfills, or the preservation of biodiversity.

Applicants must demonstrate how the partnership and collaboration among one or more entities, or the general public, resulted in a game-changing sustainability outcome or breakthrough. The application must identify meaningful and quantifiable objectives and document progress toward those objectives.

 

Application Fee: $300

 

How to Enter: Notify NWRA via email (Lyndsi Hicks, lhicks@wasterecycling.org) as soon as possible that you intend to apply. Include the name of the award in your email. NWRA will prepare and send an invoice to you. The invoice MUST be paid by the awards application deadline of July 31 for your application to be considered.

Submission Deadline: Submit your completed application form by or before July 31, 2026.

Questions? Contact Sara Bixby, sbixby@wasterecycling.org

 

Nomination Guidelines

Applications will be considered by NWRA’s Awards judges based upon the qualifying criteria and examples of innovations, contributions and excellence accomplished by the partnership.

You will be asked to provide the following information within this form:

1. Applicant Information

   • The public name of the Partnership and Project. 

   • Contact information (name, email, phone number) for the person preparing the award application. This is who NWRA will contact as needed to answer questions, ensure application completion, and pay the application fee.  

   • At least one member of the Partnership must be an NWRA member. Identify that company or organization.

   • Please provide contact information (partner name, contact name, contact email) for each of the partners involved in the program.

   • If the Partnership has a single identifying logo, please include it with the application, along with the corporate logo for each Partner.
     
     

2. Qualifying Criteria
   
   • Program background and goals (40 pts): Include a narrative explaining what the Partnership was formed to do (sustainability objective). How was the Partnership conceived and organized? Describe the role(s)/contributions of each Partner and the goals and approach of the Partnership overall. What were the original planned metrics of success and timeline for deployment? Have they been accomplished and if so, will the Partnership continue to work together in the future? What are its new goals and objectives?
   • Program effectiveness and metrics (45 pts): Explain the Partnership’s major accomplishments, the beneficiaries of those accomplishments, and how they have contributed to an innovative and game-changing sustainability breakthrough. Why is this important?  Include costs and measurable results. Data can be presented in the narrative or through charts and graphs. A picture is worth a thousand words. Please include color photographs, drawings, or schematics that illustrate your innovation and accomplishment.
   • Additional info and recognition (10 pts): Include additional information including letters of recommendation, copies of brochures and print ads, links to social media or videos, etc. Discuss any awards, honors, or recognition already received.
   • Application quality (5 pts) Applications will be reviewed for completeness, clarity, and overall presentation.
     
     

Also, remember the application fee must be paid by the July 31 application deadline for the nomination to be considered. 

Before You Begin
This form contains many detailed questions and will take some time to complete. We strongly recommend that you first review the full list of questions in the downloadable overview so you can gather the necessary information and materials before beginning your submission.

All applications must be submitted using this Jotform. You will be asked to choose one of the following two submission methods for your Qualifying Criteria:

1. Upload a complete application as a single PDF that includes all required responses to the Qualifying Criteria section, along with any photos, figures, or attachments. The entire file must not exceed 20 pages.
   
   
2. Complete the application through this form by filling in the provided fields and uploading supporting materials where prompted. A compiled PDF will be generated upon submission and must also not exceed 20 pages in total length.

Submissions that exceed the page limit may be disqualified.

Data can be presented within your narrative responses or as supporting charts and graphs. A picture is worth a thousand word. Please include color photographs, drawings, or schematics that help illustrate your innovation and accomplishments.

You may upload multiple attachments in each file upload section. If you have several supporting documents or images, please attach them all as needed.

Questions? Contact Sara Bixby, sbixby@wasterecycling.org 

Please include a narrative explaining how the Partnership was conceived and organized. Describe the roles of each Partner and the goals and approach of the Partnership overall. What were the planned metrics of success and timeline for deployment? How will the Partnership work together in the future? What are the new goals and objectives?