Dear Lynda Cock,

CompostNow » Hummingbird Wholesale » Preserve »

Huge congratulations to the three winners in the winter round of our People & Planet Awards program.

This round of awards* went to green businesses with innovative approaches to recycling, reuse, and waste reduction -- strategies for getting to zero waste. The winners each receive $5,000 to deepen their business's commitment to people and the planet.

CompostNow CEO Justin Senkbeil told us the award will help his company offer services to more North Carolinians who can't maintain an at-home compost pile.  CompostNow provides a pick-up service for organic waste, later providing finished compost to regional urban farms and community gardens -- including Raleigh City Farm, a People & Planet winner in summer 2012!

In addition to their robust container-return program, Hummingbird Wholesale wowed People & Planet voters with an inspiring video of their bike-delivery system.  We're happy to report that Hummingbird's Kristie Steele tells us, "Our prize money will buy us a second electric bike cart, doubling our bike delivery capacity. Making local deliveries via bike pays off in cleaner air, fun and healthy work, and ongoing inspiration for our co-owners and community."

And finally, Preserve, which manufactures plastic personal care products out of recycled yogurt containers, lip-balm tubes, Brita filters, and other toss-away items, will be paying its award money forward by adding their prize money to the rewards they'll provide to the winners of their own 2013 Local Heroes of Recycling program.  Their contest starts March 12... and our next round of People & Planet Awards starts March 21.  We'll be collecting nominations starting then for our spring awards, in the category of "sustainable food."

Learn more about all of our People & Planet winners and finalists here, and thanks for helping us reward the greenest of the green.

Here's to the growing green economy,