Recycling: Celebrating our 2022 Centre County Green Business Partners

We love to promote our local businesses, institutions, schools and organizations who go above and beyond when it comes to waste reduction, recycling, composting and so on. To recognize our local “green” partners, the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority, along with the Centre Region Council of Governments, have created the Centre County Green Business Partnership Program that is open to all entities in Centre County who participate in recycling, waste reduction and other environmentally sound practices.

There is an online application to complete to be selected as a Centre County Green Business Partner. Businesses must answer questions on what they are doing to preserve our environment in areas such as waste reduction, energy efficiency and conservation, compost practices, reuse and recycling programs and more.

Once the online application is complete, a panel of experts review them for acceptance into the program. Once accepted, the successful candidates are invited to an Awards Luncheon and their business, institution, school or organization is spotlighted in various publications and social media channels across the county.

We are pleased to announce the 2022 Centre County Green Business Partners:

• ABC, Central PA Chapter
• Art Alliance of Central PA
• Benjamin’s Catering
• Borough of State College
• Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority
• Centre Markets LLC
• Centre Region Council of Governments
• Centre Region Parks and Recreation
• Delta Program
• Envinity, Inc.
• Foxdale Village Retirement Community
• General Potter Farm
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County ReStore
• Happy Valley Optical, Inc.
• Jabebo LLC
• KB Offset Printing, Inc.
• Nittany Eye Associates
• Nittany Valley Charter School
• Our Lady of Victory Catholic Schools
• Park Forest Middle School
• Pick Research Solutions, Inc.
• Restore Eye Care & Eye Gym
• Scraps & Skeins
• Simplicity: A Bed and Breakfast
• State College Presbyterian Church
• The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center
• The Village at Penn State
• The Queen, A Victorian Bed and Breakfast

The panel also reviews the applications to select a few entities who will receive the coveted “Emerald Award.” This award is reserved for those who have really stepped up their game and have shown exemplary progress toward all things sustainable. The 2022 Emerald Award winners are: Jabebo LLC and The Village at Penn State.

All of our 2022 Green Business Partners were celebrated at the awards luncheon that was held on April 14 at Foxdale Village. In addition to this column, the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority will publish the names of all of our winners in our summer newsletter, on our website, and on all of our social media channels. Beginning Monday, each 2022 Green Business Partner will have their own day on the Authority’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages highlighting their accomplishments.

We only offer a chance to participate in this program every two years so look for our online application to open again in 2023 for a spring 2024 awards luncheon.

For more information on the Centre County Green Business Partnership, send me an email at aschirf@centrecountyrecycles.org. Congratulations to all of our 2022 awardees! We are Centre County proud!