Organics Management Facility of the Year Award Application

This award is open to organics management facilities that are owned/operated by either NWRA members or public sector/non-profit entities that have made a significant impact in diverting organics through their management facility. The award is intended to recognize a facility as a model of organics management that inspires others. Applicants are asked to describe methodologies and provide data to quantify the impact and success of their work.

Nomination Fee: $150

Intent to Apply: Notify NWRA by 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 application deadline of July 31st for your application to be considered.

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

Questions? Contact Sara Bixby at sbixby@wasterecycling.org 

Nomination Guidelines

Your application for Organics Management Facility of the Year should provide the information necessary for NWRA’s Recycling Committee and awards judges to understand how the nominated facility and related program improves recovery and management of organics materials.

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

1. Applicant Information
   • The name of the Facility. For the winning facility, this is the name we will use in press releases and in developing artwork for the trophy.
     
     
   • Contact information (name, email, phone number) for the person responsible for the award application. This is who NWRA will contact as needed to answer questions, ensure application completion, and for payment of the application fee.
   • Identify whether the nomination is submitted by 1) an NWRA member or 2) a public sector/non-profit entity not eligible for NWRA membership.
     
     
   • A list of people (with titles and companies) responsible for the nominated facility.
     
     
   • A logo for each of the identified companies or organizations. All logos should be submitted as an EPS, .ai, or high-resolution PDF.
     
     
2. Qualifying Criteria

NWRA’s Recycling Committee and awards judges will evaluate award applications based on the effect of the nominated Organics Management Facility on organics recycling, recovery, and reuse.

• Program background and goals (40 pts): Provide a narrative about the facility's history and background. Include details about siting; design; size, equipment, and capacity of the original facility. Discuss the facility’s goals and the materials accepted. Describe any major barriers to success that were resolved.
• Program effectiveness and metrics (45 pts): I: Identify sustainability measures – both qualitative and quantitative – and how the currently facility works to achieve them. Include measurable results, and support your response with data, charts, graphs, and visuals (e.g., photos, schematics).
• Additional info and recognition (10 pts): Attach any supplemental materials such as letters of recommendation, brochures, print ads, videos, or other media. Highlight any awards or honors previously 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 20 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 

Describe the facility’s history, siting, design, size, equipment, and capacity. Include goals, materials accepted, and any significant challenges resolved.

Identify sustainability measures and how the facility works to meet them. Include data and visual evidence like charts, graphs, photos, and schematics.