Looking to honor resource conservation and sound recycling efforts, King County is now compiling its seventh-annual Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling list for 2013.

This list acknowledges businesses small and large that have excelled in preventing waste and promoted recycling. This year, King County is adding a new feature to the list by introducing the “RE-Innovator Award,” which will go to a business or organization that has adopted the most innovative practices or programs to reduce waste.

All businesses operating in King County, outside the City of Seattle, are eligible to apply. The deadline is May 31, and the list will be announced on June 24.

Businesses interested in applying must complete an online application, at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/garbage-recycling/apply-best-workplaces.asp.

In order to be eligible for the list, a business must meet five required criteria, in addition to at least 10 benchmarks from a list of other waste prevention and recycling practices.

Benchmarks include actions such as collecting food scraps and food-soiled paper for composting, collecting batteries for recycling, or offering paperless billing to customers. Businesses that have been named to the list for five years or more will be added to the program’s Honor Roll.

More information about this resource conservation and recycling program is available by calling Karen May, program manager with the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks’ Solid Waste Division at206-296-4353, or karen.may@kingcounty.gov. Seattle businesses can be recognized for their waste reduction efforts through the City’s Get on the Map program.