Four businesses received recognition for their dedication to environmental leadership and issues at the Surrey Board of Trade’s 13th annual Surrey Environment and Business Awards on Tuesday (Sept. 17).
The awards, according to a release from SBOT, are “guided by a sense of respect for the environment and demonstrate this initiative consistently.”
For the Small Business Award, Tailwind Energy Group was the winner.
Tailwind Energy Group, according to SBOT, provides safe, reliable and cost-efficient electrical services and innovative energy solutions.
“Their One for One Lighting Program allows them to donate an LED lightbulb,” the release states. “Tailwind typically donates 10 LED type A light bulbs to a family which in turn will save the family about $120 per year on their energy bill. Working together with government representatives, power company liaisons and community organizations. Tailwind aims to provide energy efficient lighting to those who cannot afford upgrades while lowering the collective footprint on the environment.”
A Rocha Canada won for the Medium Business Award.
The release said A Rocha Canada is a registered charity, with a mission “to transform people and places into healthy communities through three core programs: conservation science (research and restoration of watersheds), sustainable community agriculture, and environmental education for all ages.
“A Rocha’s BC hub is now an environmental centre, heritage site and sustainable farm. It is a living classroom for ecological stewardship, sustainable living, and community hospitality, located in the Little Campbell Watershed, an area that is extremely rich in biodiversity.”
The Large Business Award was given to School District No 36 (Surrey).
The district, according to the release, “strives to incorporate environmental sustainability into day-to-day operations and intergrate environmental sustainability into the curriculum taught to students.” Some of the projects include the Sustainable Building Design to incorporate efficient and low-carbon technologies including an air-source heat pump; LED lighting and low-flow water fixtures; the district-wide Rethink Waste for recycling paper, cardboard, metal, glass and plastics, and composting organics.
“Surrey Schools is in a unique position to extend their environmental endeavours far beyond the boundaries of the organization’s operations by providing education on environmental sustainability and ecology to their students.”
Renewi Canada received the Circular Economy Award, which is for a business that has re-invented, re-thought and re-defined how they use materials to use them for as long as possible.
The release says in 2018, Renewi opened North America’s “first fully integrated closed-loop organic waste management facility featuring dry anaerobic digestion and in-vessel composting in Surrey.”
“The Surrey Biofuel Facility is the first of its kind with the capacity to process 100% of the City’s curb-side organic waste and convert it into renewable natural gas to fuel the city’s fleet of natural gas vehicles; helping Metro Vancouver achieve its regional waste diversion goal of 80% by 2020.”
The keynote speaker for the event was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who SBOT CEO Anita Huberman said was there as a “world-renowned environmentalist” and speak to his link to the clean-tech sector in Silicon Valley.
There was a bit of controversy leading up to the event due to Kennedy’s anti-vaccination stance.
READ ALSO: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. applauds Surrey’s efforts to commit to green technologies, Sept. 17, 2019
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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