Innovative Service Award
The intent of this award is to recognize an innovative service that significantly influences and drives the adoption of sustainability through an organization, customer base or industry. The Innovative Service Award applies to a company or service provider that can demonstrate having made a significant and measurable impact on Environmental, Social and/or Governance (ESG) metrics across a value chain. Some Examples could be developing a new sustainable technique or standard, a new structure or business model, or a new use of a material or waste stream.
The innovative service must have measurable impacts and include the quantification of business impact (% improvement, % reduction, etc.) for more than one customer and evidence must be provided in the application.
The Innovative Service award criteria is based one or more measurable outcomes including:
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Integrates sustainability into strategic business decision making and overall operations
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Develops and designs sustainability criteria for products, systems, services, processes, or buildings
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Progresses innovative material use, transportation, resiliency, risk reduction, and/or social impact/equity
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Advances workforce strategies demonstrating positive improvement in overall health, safety and wellness
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Enables and advances ESG criteria and frameworks
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Engages internal stakeholders with services, programs and tools that yield sustainability-driven innovation
Innovative services will vary yet creative and unique solutions are being developed to significantly advance sustainability across businesses, markets, and industries. We encourage any business with a service they consider to be innovative and drive sustainable solutions forward to apply for this award.
Applications should include identification and, if possible, quantification of the direct and indirect benefits outlined above.
2022 Award Winner
Printing using UV LED Curing Technology
Empire Screen Printing
Sustainability is integrated into Empire Screen Printing’s vision and environmental policy. Through their relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction, they continue to look for new opportunities and innovations. After an employee suggestion and three years of beta testing, they introduced the first UV LED Ink Curing technology in screen printing, changing the future of screen printing. There are zero emissions, no CFMs, no mercury bulbs, and no VOC solvent-based inks. In 2022, they removed all solvent inks from their facility to be 100% UV ink, compared to the industry standard that still uses solvent inks. They have continued to transition their production, and 90% of their print now uses UV LED curing technology, decreasing their material waste by 95%. Empire Screen Printing cares deeply for its employees, and their motivation to provide a safe working environment has driven them to create a service that is both safe and environmentally friendly, and they are committed to sharing these practices
with the industry and customers.
2021 Award Winner
EZ Office Products
Madison
Rose Molz
Rose Molz, founder of EZ Office Products, has developed an innovative, specialized delivery service for customers, companies and organizations aiming to reduce the amount of material they send to landfills. EZ Office Products has adapted their operations to include proactive solutions that help their clients limit the amount of waste they produce through ordering office supplies and their daily work. They strive to help educate customers about the wide variety of items that can be recycled and encourage them to return these items to us so they can dispose of them. EZ Office Products efforts are directly helping to keep items out of landfills – which is working to improve not only the environment locally in Wisconsin, but also the Earth as a whole.