At the TLMI Annual Meeting held in Naples, FL last month, Greer, SC-based Mitsubishi Polyester Film and Aurora, IL-based The Label Printers each received TLMI Environmental Leadership Awards. This prestigious award recognizes TLMI member companies that have consistently 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 education program.

Calvin Frost, CEO of Channeled Resources Group and TLMI Environmental Committee Chair, commented, “This is our tenth year in presenting these awards and recognizing our industry’s leaders in environmental awareness and best sustainability practices. As an industry association, TLMI takes sustainability very seriously. Out of the multitude of entries we receive every year from companies competing for this coveted award, only two are chosen. This year’s winners have both demonstrated true leadership in sustainability and green initiatives and the recognition they receive is well deserved.”

The Converter Award for Environmental Leadership was given to The Label Printers, a company that has created an environmental culture throughout their entire organization, reducing waste and energy consumption. The Label Printers created an audit team that identified 17 categories of waste that could be eliminated from their waste stream and developed a partnership with a manufacturer of engineered fuels allowing them to divert their matrix from landfills. The company became 100% landfill-free in their last fiscal year in addition to becoming a certified participant in TLMI’s LIFE (Label Initiative for the Environment) Program.

The Supplier Award for Environmental Leadership was given to Mitsubishi Polyester Film, an industry supplier that implemented energy conservation in power, water and lighting in addition to developing a recycling initiative on a global scale. Mitsubishi introduced a “zero waste to landfill” initiative in early 2012 and are well on their way to achieving that goal. The company also introduced a closed loop system that is available to the entire industry supply chain and was one of the first association supplier members to achieve TLMI LIFE certification.