Casella Recognizes 2026 Sustainability Leaders

Casella has honored three organizations for their leadership in sustainability as part of Casella’s annual Sustainability Leadership Awards.

The Casella Sustainability Leadership Awards recognize customers who demonstrate what can be achieved through collaboration to reduce waste, increase recycling, and advance the circular economy. Each year, winners are selected from a diverse group of nominees, including municipalities, businesses, manufacturers, and higher education and healthcare institutions.  

“I am pleased to congratulate Adams Fairacre Farms, King Arthur Baking Company, and the City of Pittsfield, MA on this well-deserved recognition,” said Ned Coletta, President and CEO of Casella. “Their environmental sustainability leadership is helping drive meaningful progress in their organizations and communities, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support them as they advance their sustainability initiatives.”

From implementing innovative waste diversion programs to transforming municipal recycling systems, this year’s award recipients demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits of thoughtful materials management. 

Their stories are featured at casella.com/sla, where visitors can learn more about how they are reducing waste and helping create more sustainable communities.

“At Casella, we believe sustainability is built through collaboration,” Coletta said. “These award recipients show what is possible when organizations embrace innovative solutions and work together to create lasting environmental benefits.” 

2026 Casella Sustainability Leadership Award Winners

Adams Fairacre Farms is a family-owned grocery and garden center business that began as a small farmstand and has grown into a beloved regional retailer in the Hudson Valley of New York. Adams Fairacre has worked in partnership with the local Casella team to add compost service at all five of its locations. With a focus on keeping the service clear and simple, the teams have established a successful program that reliably recovers clean food waste for local composters. The initiative benefits the organization while also supporting sustainability in the local community.

King Arthur Baking Company is a more than 200-year-old, employee-owned Certified B Corporation, and a nationally recognized baking brand headquartered in Vermont’s Upper Valley Region. As part of its 2023 sustainability strategy, the organization has set a zero-waste goal and a commitment to work towards packaging with 50% post-consumer recycled content. To support these goals, Casella provides monthly diversion reports, educational resources, and ongoing service enhancements. King Arthur was an early adopter of the first Casella ARC™ Operation, through which local manufacturers collaborated to establish a specialty recycling facility tailored to their unique needs.

The City of Pittsfield, MA, Berkshire County’s largest city and home to approximately 43,000 residents, recently worked with Casella to complete a major overhaul of its solid waste service model, transitioning from unlimited curbside pickup to a standardized cart system designed to drive higher recycling rates while reducing waste costs. Elements of the program include automated collection for safety and efficiency, 48-gallon carts to encourage recycling, and a mobile app to provide residential service notifications and recycling education. Following these changes, recycling volumes have risen by 20%, helping reduce the municipality’s reliance on shrinking regional disposal capacity.