By Julie Thibodeaux       

The North Texas Corporate Recycling Association has recognized outstanding environmental achievement since it was founded in 1990 to promote business recycling. When the NTCRA’s annual Green 3 Awards were held on Thursday September 27 2012 at the Irving Convention Center, this was the first time the organization presented a media award.

Green Source DFW contributing writer Rita Cook was selected as its inaugural winner.   “We wanted to reward the people who are doing the good stories, not greenwashing,” said NTCRA president Elizabeth Combs. Cook was recognized for her efforts to raise environmental consciousness with stories on everything from tips for weatherizing your home to why you shouldn’t throw turkey grease down the drain. Her husband accepted the award for Cook, who was out of the country.   The Green3 Awards recognize outstanding efforts of NTCRA members and their customers and clients to reduce waste and to establish, deliver and promote extraordinary recycling programs and offer creative recycled products for North Texas.  In addition to the Green 3 Media Award, awards were given to individuals, businesses and municipalities in the following categories:  

  • Excellence in Education and Outreach: the city of Frisco    
  • Excellence in Materials Recovery: the city of Fort Worth    
  • Superior Waste Minimization: the city of Allen    
  • Recycler of the Year: Tina Paysinger, manager at the Villas at Chase Oaks in Plano.    
  • Best Recycling Partnership: Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Balcones Resources    
  • Green3 Achievement: Microsoft    
  • Green3 Elected Official: Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price    

For more information on NTCRA, go to ntcra.org

Rita Cook is an award winning journalist who writes or has written for the Dallas Morning News, Focus Daily News, Waxahachie Daily Light,  Dreamscapes Travel Magazine, Porthole, Core Media, Fort Worth Star Telegram and many other publications in Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago.  Cook is the Managing Editor of Insider Magazine, worked at the Chicago Sun Times for renowned columnist Irv Kupcinet and can also be heard Sunday morning in Los Angeles on The Insider Magazine Radio Show’s featured segment “I’m Standing Here.”  With five books published, her latest release is “A Brief History of Fort Worth” published by History Press.  You can contact her at rcook13@earthlink.net

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Julie Thibodeaux, covers environmental issues, green topics and sustainable living for Green Source DFW. Previously, she worked as an editor and writer at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Contact her at julie@greensourcedfw.org .