Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 12, 2024. Winners will be announced at the 35th Annual Environment Virginia Symposium in April 2025.

On April 7, 2022, Governor Youngkin signed Executive Order 17, Recognizing the Value of Recycling and Waste Reduction (EO 17). This category is intended to recognize projects and programs supporting this executive order. The order includes 3 broad sections covered by this application:

1. Recognition of the value of recyclable material;
2. Making Virginia home to new clean technologies; and
3. Stopping food waste.

Applicant's programs must support one of these sections to apply to this category. It is not required or anticipated that a single project will support multiple sections of EO 17.

Judging Criteria for the Green Commonwealth Category

• Support of EO 17 [25 points maximum]:
  • How has the project increased recycling, encouraged new businesses related to recycling or post-consumer recycled content, or prevented food waste? The project only needs to support one aspect of EO 17 and is not expected to address all three sections. For help answering this question, consider the questions below. The list below is not all inclusive and some items might not apply to this project.
    • For increasing recycling, include information on:
      • How awareness of the importance and value of recycling was increased,
      • How post-consumer recycled products and biodegradable materials were encouraged (include any third-party standard requirements used), and 
      • How collection was increased, including the number of bins and their placement, signage, and education.
    • For encouraging businesses, include applicable information on:
      • New or expanded collection, processing, and manufacturing facilities for recycling, and/or
      • New or expanded uses for post-consumer recycled content.
    • For food waste reduction, include applicable information on:
      • Any large-scale suppliers of food (food manufacturers, grocery retailers, sports arenas, schools, hotels, and banquet facilities) involved, and
      • Strategies used, like reducing the amount of wasted food, donating excess food, feeding animals, and industrial uses.
• Environmental Efforts and Results [25 points maximum]:
  • Describe the environmental results that have been achieved.
    • Results must be quantifiable. Include the quantity and units.
    • Examples include the quantity of material recycled, composted, or reused, the amount of food waste avoided, raw material use reduction, waste reduction, etc.
    • Please include the actual change and the percent change for context.
• Efficiency and Economic Benefits [20 points maximum]:
  • Describe the project's efficiency and cost effectiveness, including any cost savings achieved by the project.
  • Include the implementation cost and savings information. For help answering this question, consider the questions below. The list below is not all inclusive and some items might not apply to this project.
    • What was the cost to implement the project (for example the cost of new equipment and training)?
    • Was there a cost savings? If so, how much was saved (did reduction in water/energy/material lead to a cost savings)? If not, describe how the value of the program exceeds the costs.
    • Was the return-on-investment calculated?
    • Did the project save staff time or provide a safer working environment?
    • Include other, less tangible, economic benefits that can be attributed to the project.
• Participation and Involvement [10 points maximum]:
  • Describe employee/student participation in the planning, development, and/or implementation. How is internal participation encouraged?
  • Describe any external participation in the planning, development, and/or implementation. How is external participation encouraged?
• Leadership and Innovation [10 points maximum]:
  • Describe how the program is (or can be) used as a model for others. How are you addressing environmental issues in a creative and innovative manner? How does (or can) the program positively contribute to promoting sustainability beyond your fence line (in the community, at other state facilities, nationally, etc.)? Does the program include community outreach and partnerships? How are key stakeholders engaged?
• Technical Value and Transferability [10 points maximum]:
  • Describe the technical value and transferability aspects of your project. Identify the types of groups, facilities, and/or entities that might duplicate some or all of your efforts.