The new Materials Recovery Facility in Summerdale was among five projects recognized for environmental stewardship during the 2026 Environmental Stewardship Awards presented by Partners for Environmental Progress (PEP).

The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County received an award for the facility, which is strengthening regional recycling efforts and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.

PEP presented the awards Sept. 22 during its 2026 Annual Membership Meeting and Environmental Stewardship Awards ceremony at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in Mobile. The annual awards recognize businesses, nonprofit organizations and municipalities whose work has made a significant and positive contribution to the Gulf Coast region.

Since 2005, PEP's Board of Directors has presented Environmental Stewardship Awards and the Community Partner Award to recognize environmental efforts across the region.

The Baldwin County facility was one of five projects recognized this year. Together, the projects demonstrate how environmental responsibility, innovation and collaboration can produce measurable benefits across the Gulf Coast.

The 2026 Environmental Stewardship Award recipients were:

• ArcelorMittal Calvert, recognized for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through innovative Electric Arc Furnace operations and recycled steel production.
• Moffatt & Nichol, recognized for innovative coastal restoration work and the beneficial use of dredged sediment to protect the Dauphin Island Causeway while creating valuable marsh habitat.
• Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County, recognized for its new Materials Recovery Facility, which strengthens regional recycling and reduces landfill waste.
• Thompson Engineering, recognized for using dredged sediment to restore critical coastal marsh habitat and improve shoreline resilience along Deer River.

Collectively, the projects have avoided 342,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, an amount PEP said is equivalent to taking one in five cars off Mobile County roads. The projects also kept more than 3,300 tons of recyclable materials out of landfills, put more than 1 million cubic yards of dredged material to beneficial use and restored or protected more than 4 1/2 miles of shoreline.

PEP also presented its 2026 Community Partner Award to Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The award recognizes Blankenship's more than 30 years of leadership and service focused on conserving Alabama's natural resources and strengthening Coastal Alabama's resilience.

Members and guests gathered for the annual event for an evening of networking, recognition and celebration of businesses and organizations making what PEP described as a positive impact across the Gulf Coast.

“Each year, our Environmental Stewardship Awards give us an opportunity to showcase the innovative work happening throughout our region,” Executive Director of Partners for Environmental Progress Jennifer Denson said in the release. “This year’s recipients demonstrate that environmental responsibility and economic progress can go hand in hand. Their projects are making a measurable difference today while helping build a stronger, more resilient Gulf Coast for the future.”