The Bellevue City Council honored two Bellevue businesses and a local school outstanding recycling efforts.

The top business recyclers in their class for 2008 are ICOM Inc., Bellevue Healthcare and Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. In addition to recognition from the city and Allied Waste, which handles garbage and recycling for Bellevue, each business will receive a month of free garbage service.

In the small business category, ICOM is recycling 96 percent of its waste. ICOM’s product line includes communications equipment for the marine, avionics and land industries, including equipment for police, fire and military uses. ICOM has recycling containers at every desk and runs recycling articles in its employee newsletters. 
Bellevue Healthcare, which sells, rents and services home medical equipment, won in the medium size category with an 80 percent recycling rate. The company provides easy access to recycling bins in its building and “closes the loop” by purchasing office supplies made from recycled content.

Forest Ridge School, a Catholic school for girls in grades 5-12, won in the large business category, with a recycling rate of 87 percent. In addition to recycling, the school reduces paper usage by completing lessons electronically and using online media.

Forest Ridge has also become a fully recognized King County Green School, with a Green Committee of faculty and staff and a Green Team of students. Together they started a food waste composting program and purchase compostable ware for the dining hall and kitchen. The school cut its garbage collection frequency in half and doubled its recycling collection. 
The commercial recycling program is available at no additional charge to Allied Waste commercial garbage customers. The program allows all recyclables to be combined in the same recycling container.

Allied Waste and the Bellevue began the Commercial Recycling Awards as a way to recognize businesses that go above and beyond in their recycling efforts and to promote the commercial recycling program. Businesses that would like to learn more about recycling, can contact Allied Waste at 425-646-2492.

Details about recycling in Bellevue are available on line.