Mary Schwarz - Recycling Leadership, Lifetime Achievement

Mary Schwarz of Ithaca, an Extension Support Specialist at Cornell Waste Management Institute, was recognized for her longtime dedication to organic and composting issues and promoting recycling of all materials possible. She is one of the driving forces getting the On-Farm Compost Handbook rewritten and has spent many years of research, teaching and implementation in composting animal carcasses and butcher waste.

Mary Schwarz (left) & NYSAR3 President, Kelli Timbrook (right)

Martha Clarvoe - Recycling Leadership, Private Citizen

Martha Clarvoe of Cooperstown, locally nicknamed “the Recycling Queen,” was recognized for her personal dedication and years of educating, volunteering and participating at all levels to encourage people to recycle. Clarvoe was instrumental in coordinating many of Otsego County’s successful waste reduction and environmental protection programs, including a county-wide mattress recycling program, polystyrene collection program and latex paint recycling.

Martha Clarvoe (left) & Award Nominator (right)

Carla Jordan - Recycling Leadership, Public Sector

Carla Jordan, Director of Ontario County Department of Sustainability & Solid Waste Management, was recognized for her outstanding efforts in coordinating many of Ontario County’s successful waste reduction and environmental protection programs, including back yard composting, pay as you throw at local transfer stations, distribution of educational materials, and materials collection events. Other successful projects she has spearheaded include an innovative community awareness campaign called “Are you a Sorter?; a new website that serves as the central online resource for waste diversion and recycling information in the region; an active blog; and recycling video series which educates residents on the impact common contaminants like plastic bags and e-waste have on the recycling process.

Carla Jordan 

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli - Recycling Leadership, Private Sector

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli, president of Common Ground Compost was recognized for her outstanding efforts as a tireless leader in the fight to combat food waste.  She is the force behind her company, Common Ground Compost and its mission is to implement compost programs that transform entities of all types and sizes into proud zero waste champions.  Her team’s innovative multi-faceted approach includes diagnostic consulting, waste audits and analysis, signage design and printing, waste collection contract management, eco-friendly product procurement, staff and volunteer training, education programs, organics composting programs, and bicycle driven compost hauling businesses. Danberg-Ficarelli also heads up an environmental waste start-up competition, Talk Trash City.

Barbara Reese - Recycling Leadership, K-12 School

Barb Reese, Seneca Falls Central School District. Reese, an advisor for the Green Club, has helped students and community members in Seneca Falls create a successful food diversion and composting program. In the past 5 years, Seneca Falls School District has diverted over 55,000 pounds of food waste from their local landfill and composting on-site has exposed students to the process (learning biology, chemistry and leadership skills) and has helped some fulfill their community service requirement for graduation. The school's compost has been shared with community gardeners, staff and parents, and has also been used to create new gardens at the schools.

Barbara Reese

Jessica Schreiber (FABSCRAP) - Recycling Leadership, Innovation

Jessica Schreiber and FABSCRAP was recognized for outstanding efforts in textile recycling. Since it launched in September 2016, the FABSCRAP Team has built partnerships with over 375 fashion, interior design, and entertainment firms and engaged over 4,000 individual volunteers to divert 410,500 pounds of pre-consumer textile waste. The FABSCRAP Team has added an average of 15 new companies to the recycling service every month, and has spent  hours at public events to educate both brands and consumers about textile waste. Their goal is to give away as much fabric as was sold: 20,000 pounds and counting. The company has been featured in Waste360, Grist, Supply Chain Dive, and Vogue and mentioned in Women's Wear Daily, Fast Company, and CNN

Jessica Schreiber