Cedar Grove Composting honored for its commitment to community by Secretary of State

Cedar Grove Composting will be honored by the Secretary of State’s Corporations for Communities awards program today.

Cedar Grove Composting will be honored by the Secretary of State’s Corporations for Communities awards program today.

This award honors exceptional businesses that make it a priority to help the community.

Corporations for Communities, now in its fifth year, is a recognition program within the Secretary of State’s Corporations & Charities Division that honors exceptional Washington businesses that make community involvement a priority. This year’s medallion recipients include Weyerhaeuser, IKEA, Town Auto Group, McClain Insurance, and Columbia Fresh Produce. The honor roll includes Cedar Grove Composting, Pacific Alliance Title, KHQ Television, Storman’s, and Valley Athletic Club.

Cedar Grove Composting, a local, family-owned company with roots in this region dating back to 1938, is integrally woven into the communities it operates in and beyond.

Cedar Grove has processed six million tons of organics from the regions’ homes, schools and businesses since they started the program over 24 years ago. The result of diverting that tonnage from the landfill reduces our region’s carbon footprint by the equivalent to what is generated by 20,000 homes or 27,000 cars annually.

While providing green jobs and significant economic benefit to this region, the company works diligently to ensure its facilities are assets to the communities it operates in.

In addition to its regional giving program, Cedar Grove invests in the communities surrounding their facilities, supporting numerous non-profits operating within close proximity to those locations.

Cedar Grove provides Seeds for Scholars scholarships at high schools surrounding its facilities—Everett High School, Liberty High School and Tahoma High School. Each recipient receives $2,500 towards their college education. Recipients are selected based on demonstrated interest, action and achievement on issues surrounding sustainability and the environment. In 2014, the company will introduce an additional $2,500 high school scholarship in the Marysville School District.

From packing care food packages for local students in need to take home over winter break while also providing rich soil to community gardens that grow healthy food for food banks to working with the Everett and Issaquah School Foundations to ensure that the green job force of tomorrow has what they need to succeed, Cedar Grove plays a vital role in the community.

In 2013 alone, Cedar Grove has donated to a myriad of non-profits in King and Snohomish Counties including: Seattle Tilth, Seattle Children’s Playgarden, Marysville Community Food Bank, Greater Maple Valley Food Bank, the Marysville YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, Master Gardeners, Domestic Violence Services, Issaquah Rotary, Maple Valley PONY Baseball, and many more.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman will honor company representatives for their businesses’ commitment for giving back to the community.