City of San Antonio Announces New Climate Initiative
July 1, 2021 - San Antonio
Taking action to protect the environment. “With the new Pinnacle Award, the City of San Antonio is continuing to advance sustainability by supporting our local businesses,” said Community Health and Equity Committee Chair Councilwoman Ana E. Sandoval (pictured). Photo: Jade Esteban Estrada.
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- ReWorksSA, the City of San Antonio’s commercial recycling certification program has been upgraded to include the new Pinnacle Award
- The award is bestowed only to companies making the City’s sustainability goals a top priority
ReWorksSA, the City of San Antonio’s commercial recycling certification program has been upgraded to include the new Pinnacle Award. This award is the City’s highest level of certification in the ReWorksSA program and is bestowed only to companies making the City’s sustainability goals a top priority. The other certification levels are gold, silver and bronze.
“The success of ReWorksSA is proof that San Antonio businesses are stepping up to develop sustainable practices and help protect our environment,” said Community Health and Equity Committee Chair Councilwoman Ana E. Sandoval on Monday. “With the new Pinnacle Award, the City of San Antonio is continuing to advance sustainability by supporting our local businesses. I look forward to seeing more innovative collaboration with the business community to meet the goals of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.”
ReWorksSA launched in 2018 to help the local business community start or improve recycling in the workplace. Since its inception, the program has helped companies, of all sizes, across all industry segments, implement best practices in the areas of water conservation, energy conservation and renewable energy, transportation and travel policies, general environmental policies as well as recycling. Businesses can earn points which determine their certification level and receive recognition by the City as industry leaders.
“The program has been extremely successful with over 130 local companies receiving certification ranging from large well-known industry leaders in San Antonio to small, independent stores and shops,” said David Newman, director of SWMD. “Certification comes with valuable rewards including recognition and promotion to customers, consumers and stakeholders.”
ReWorksSA is a recognized climate initiative aligned with San Antonio’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan: SA Climate Ready. The newly created Pinnacle Award allows businesses to be recognized for additional sustainability programs. The award is a joint endeavor between the Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD), which developed ReWorksSA, and the Office of Sustainability (OS).
“There are many commercial sustainability programs for water, energy, transportation and environmental policies already available in San Antonio and ReWorksSA helps companies find and implement them and in turn be recognized,” said Douglas Melnick, Chief Sustainability Officer. “With this recognition, residents can better support those businesses and organizations that are focused on climate and sustainability as part of their core values and operations.”
For more information on how to get certified or to find businesses already certified, visit www.reworkssa.org.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @getjaded