ENCINITAS — The city of Encinitas Environmental Commission announces the opening of nominations for its Environmental Award Program (EAP), now in its eighth year. Nominate an individual or a business in Encinitas.
The EAP seeks to recognize deserving individuals, businesses, and non-profits for their commitment to environmental stewardship and outstanding environmental achievements in the city. Two Excellence in Environmental Stewardship awards have been historically granted to a for-profit business and a non-profit business each year since the program’s founding in 2014 by Environmental Commissioners Jim Wang and Joy Lyndes. In 2019, under the leadership of Environmental Commissioners Christian Adams and Inge Bisconer, a new Environmental Hero category was added to recognize both an adult and a youth that are not necessarily affiliated with a business.
The deadline to submit nominations for the 2022 award program is 11:59 p.m. March 31. Nomination forms can be found at encinitasca.gov/Government/Boards-Commissions/Environmental-Commission.
The 2021 Environmental Hero Award, Adult category was Jim Wang. Wang is one of the most committed and successful former Environmental Commissioners in the history of Encinitas. For almost a decade as a volunteer, Wang championed public education and solutions to waste, climate change, and overall improvement to the environmental integrity of the city of Encinitas. Wang was particularly instrumental in declaring a climate emergency in the city, pushing forward ordinances to eliminate plastic waste and promoting bike transportation, building electrification, and Community Choice Energy. At least five current environmental ordinances in Encinitas would likely not have happened without Wang ‘s leadership and engagement.
The 2021 Excellence in Environmental Stewardship, For-profit Business winner was the Nada Shop. The mission of the Nada Shop is to make low-waste living easier and more accessible to everyone by selling household and body care products available for refill in store, as well as other everyday plastic-free lifestyle goods. Most products are sold without any packaging or are packaged in plastic-free material like cardboard, aluminum, or glass which are all not only easily recyclable, but are also reusable. The Nada Shop helps change public behavior and educates our community on how important it is to reduce our plastic consumption and reduce plastic pollution.
The 2021 Excellence in Environmental Stewardship, Non-profit Business winner was the Community Resource Center (CRC). The CRC provides many different kinds of social services to many people in Encinitas and North County. The CRC is being recognized for environmental efforts to rescue edible food and reduce food waste with its Food and Nutrition Center (FNC). The FNC participated in a pilot program to pick-up nutritious, fresh food from partner grocery stores and distribute to food-insecure clients. It is now a model for other food pantries in the area. CRC’s leadership in this important program helps fight hunger, provides crucial logistics for our community and grocery stores to fulfill their roles to rescue food, and reduces methane producing organic waste from going to our landfills.
Encinitas’ Environmental Award Program is the first award of its kind in San Diego County and is one of few in the United States. For more information about the history of the award: EAP History.
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