TLMI has announced that Portland, OR-based Rose City Label and Plymouth, MA-based Flexo Concepts were each awarded a TLMI Calvin Frost Environmental Leadership Award at the association’s recent Annual Meeting in Amelia Island, Florida. The awards will officially be known as the Calvin Frost Environmental Leadership Awards moving forward, an eponymous tribute to one of the packaging industry’s most respected environmental and sustainability thought leaders and longtime TLMI member.

This prestigious award recognizes one association supplier and one association converter member that have each demonstrated a commitment to progressive environmental practices across a range of areas including solid waste reduction, recycling, waste or energy recovery, the implementation of new ‘clean’ technology and/or processes and the implementation of an educational program.

TLMI Director of Environmental Strategies and Outreach, Rosalyn Bandy, comments, “This is TLMI’s 16th year presenting the Environmental Leadership Awards. It was a very special event this year as we honored both Calvin Frost, and our two award winners. I want to congratulate Rose City Label and Flexo Concepts for their high level of excellence in environmental stewardship. Their achievements and dedication serve to inspire us all.”

The Converter Award for Environmental Leadership was given to Rose City Label, a converter that has embedded best sustainability practices into nearly every facet of the company’s culture. The company participates in their community’s plastic wrap program, recycles all of their pallets and use water-wash flexo plates. They also take advantage of their local utility’s offering of 100% wind-power generated electricity. An early adopter of environmental certification programs, Rose City holds monthly sustainability metrics meetings, bringing the company’s practices and sustainability goals to all employees.

The Supplier Award for Environmental Leadership was given to Flexo Concepts, a TLMI supplier member who over the past year has collaborated with the owner-occupant of their building to install a photo-voltaic system on the roof. The system produces 100% of the energy used by the company and the building’s other tenants. The solar array installation, completed over a five-month period, included 850 panels, 40 power inverters and all the materials required to connect the solar energy to the building and electric grid.

TLMI President, Dan Muenzer, comments, “One of the pillars of the TLMI Strategic Plan is sustainability and Rose City Label and Flexo Concepts are two excellent examples of ways that TLMI member companies are practicing admirable environmental stewardship. It was such a personal honor for me to have Calvin Frost with us at the banquet when we announced this year’s Environmental Award winners, and to be able to introduce him and to convey to attendees why we are naming these awards after such a great man; a person who has dedicated his entire career to making our industry more sustainable. Calvin’s passion and dedication are unmatched and what a thrill to be handing out the first two official Calvin Frost Awards for Environmental Leadership to Rose City Label and Flexo Concepts.” 


Calvin Frost moonlights as the author of Label & Narrow Web’s popular Letters from the Earth column. For a sense of Calvin’s passion for both the label industry and the environment, check out the Letters from the Earth archives.