The 2023 recipient of the Environmental Stewardship Award is Kalmar Solutions, LLC located in Ottawa, Kansas, for their project Containerization – Returnable Racking. 

In 2018, Kalmar launched their Zero Waste Landfill Facility initiative and returnable racking is one project within their larger plan. The large amount of wood, cardboard and plastic brought into the facility was a safety hazard for employees, in addition to being an environmental concern. Returnable racking eliminates waste sent for incineration and mitigates the safety hazard generated by the waste. 

This project has saved an estimated 5,534,399 pounds of non-hazardous waste produced and saved an estimated $174,303. 

Kalmar Solutions conducts monthly meetings to discuss sustainability projects and future goals. They also partner with the K-State Pollution Prevention Institute (PPI) and share information within their global companies on best practices on sustainability projects. The company is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.