Meet the winners

Maryland Department of Aging’s Durable Medical Equipment Re-Use program exists to improve the independence and quality of life of Maryland residents with any illness, injury, or disability through access to free mobility equipment. Since the program began less than 3 years ago, they have saved 33,521 items from landfills, offsetting 1,969.93 metric tons of CO2, while saving individuals and the health care system $3.2 million.

Plastic-Free MKE’s mission is to reduce the harms that unnecessary plastics have on environmental health, public health, and social justice. They center those most harmed by plastics, build a community around plastic alternatives, advocate for producer and polluter accountability, and use collaborative problem solving to eliminate plastics in the Milwaukee area. Among other wins in a challenging policy environment, they partnered with r.World to establish a reusable container program, successfully passed a citywide Straw Law in 2020 and a styrofoam ban in Milwaukee county in 2023—and this year are focusing on Skip the Stuff policy.

The Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) equips students with the resources to holistically understand the Waste Crisis and lead solutions on their campuses. Their goals include supporting college campuses in establishing accessible reusable to-go systems for campus dining and empowering and equipping students spearheading these initiatives to navigate bureaucracy and negotiate solutions. Through PLAN’s 10-year history of supporting student activism on college campuses regarding waste, they have assisted in diverting over 12 million pounds of waste and impacted the lives of more than 5 million students.