The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) is now accepting entries for the 2021 Design for Recycling (DFR) Award. The DFR Award is ISRI's highest award given annually to the most outstanding contribution to products designed with recycling in mind. It recognizes proactive steps made by manufacturers who have actively incorporated DFR principles into products and processes.
"Effective recycling really begins at the point a product is first conceived," said Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. "The Design for Recycling® Award recognizes companies, designers, and manufacturers with clearly established mindsets that stand above others when producing products that can be recycled both safely and efficiently. When their product reaches the end of life stage it can be recycled in a manner that benefits the environment and the economy."
ISRI inaugurated the award more than 10 years ago. Previous winners include Hewlett Packard, The Herman Miller Company, Coca-Cola Recycling Company, Cascades Fine Papers Group, Dell Inc., LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, EcoStrate SFS, Nestlé Waters North America, and 2020 award winner Lexmark.
To be eligible for ISRI's Design for Recycling® Award, a product must be designed/redesigned and manufactured to:
• Contain the maximum amount of materials that are recyclable.
• Be easily recycled through current or newly designed recycling processes and procedures.
• Be cost effective to recycle, whereby the cost to recycle does not exceed the value of its recycled materials.
• Be free of hazardous materials that are not recyclable or impede the recycling process.
• Minimize the time and cost involved to recycle the product.
• Reduce the use of raw materials by including recycled materials and/or components.
• Have a net gain in the overall recyclability of the product while reducing the overall negative impact on the environment.
Interested parties can apply online on or before the February 19, 2021 deadline.