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Marine Debris Program staff receives “Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Champion” award from Montgomery County

SEPT. 12, 2022 — Recently, NOAA Marine Debris Program grants specialist and lead coordinator of the National Ocean Service Zero Waste Team, Amanda Dwyer, received a Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Champion award from Montgomery County, Maryland. She was one of 22 individuals, businesses, and organizations honored from across Montgomery County for outstanding achievement in recycling, waste reduction, and reuse.

A photo of an award.
Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Champions' award from Montgomery County. Image credit: NOAA.

Amanda was recognized for her leadership in improving recycling efforts during the renovation of NOAA’s Silver Spring Metro Campus. In coordination with the Montgomery County Business Recycling program, she facilitated a virtual seminar highlighting the appropriate recycling guidelines to follow when packing up office space for renovations. Amanda also developed a pilot program for staff within the Office of Response and Restoration to donate office supplies of nominal value to avoid them ending up in a landfill. Amanda has documented the successful pilot program so that additional offices can adopt these best practices as well.

The NOS Zero Waste Team, OR&R Restack Team, OR&R leadership, and participating staff provided invaluable support for these efforts.

Ensuring NOS staff have the knowledge and infrastructure needed to appropriately recycle items in the workplace is one of many steps the NOS Zero Waste team is continuing to address. Additional actions to expand these efforts outside of Silver Spring to regional offices are in progress now.

Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:40pm PST