Today is the day! We are opening the applications for the Fourth Annual WhatTheyThink Environmental Innovation Awards, presented in partnership with Unisource Worldwide, Inc. and Unisource’s respect™ Printers’ Program.

As always, we will be presenting awards to five winners that have implemented projects, initiatives, and processes that transcend mere certification and compliance and have developed truly innovative solutions.

Large or small, companies in the printing industry are going beyond certification and are implementing highly creative solutions. The goal of our Environmental Innovation Awards is to identify those companies on the cutting edge of sustainability solutions—the true thought leaders. We will be announcing the winners on April 23, the Monday after Earth Day (April 22).

Companies may apply for just one or as many as all four categories:

• Environmental Sustainability and Your Community recognizes a company that is involved in an environmentally progressive community program such as initiatives for charitable organizations, internal programs such as alternative transportation for staff, and other “outreach” that supports both the environment and the community.
• Environmental Sustainability and Your Plant recognizes a company that is “walking the talk” in their own plant; for example, incorporating lean/green manufacturing, unique lighting or ventilation, a white roof, etc.
• Environmental Sustainability and Your Processes recognizes a company that has implemented environmentally sensitive processes incorporating inks, papers, consumables, waste management, or recycling in new and different ways.
• Beyond Environmental Sustainability recognizes a leading-edge solution or initiative involving unique creativity; for example, a biodiesel “still” to create alternative power sources or installation of wind or solar power.

The fifth award is a special “Thought Leader” prize that will recognize a company which best represents the “new green graphic arts company” among all applicants. The recipient will be a truly innovative, disruptively-creative company.

Do you have something creative, innovative, or “out in left field”? Are you doing something that no one else is doing? Share it with us and—who knows?—we may be announcing you a winner.

Download your application form here and return it by 5:00 PM (Eastern time) on March 23, 2012. You can submit applications in more than one category; but you need to complete a separate application for each category for consideration.

Tell Them What They’ll Win...

All five winners will be flown to Atlanta for a special event on May 17, where they will be honored and presented their awards by executives from WhatTheyThink and Unisource. Other benefits of winning an Environmental Innovation Award include:

• Recognition among industry peers
• Mini-conference with sponsors on sustainability issues
• Award presentation dinner
• Physical award for in-plant display
• Video interview on WhatTheyThink, with reprint rights to your video for marketing and Web use
• Press release on WhatTheyThink
• Blog post on Going Green
• Badge graphic for your Web site/blog

Not only will each recipient be spotlighted on all of WhatTheyThink’s online properties, each winning company will also receive one-year of site-wide corporate access to WhatTheyThink.com.

If you’re an environmentally innovative company, you’ve done the work—now get the recognition you deserve. Apply now!