Fullerton Woman Receives National Recycling Honor

A Fullerton woman is being honored in Washington, D.C., today for starting a workplace recycling program that cut trash by more than a third at a Los Angeles Amtrak station.

Tami Calderon, 34, is one of six nominees for the John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award for starting a recycling program at the Amtrak facility at Union Station.

Chafee, a Rhode Island Republican senator who died in 1999, was a champion of environmental legislation. His son, Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), will give the keynote address at the award ceremony, which honors rail employees who have gone beyond their normal duties to implement environmental programs.

Calderon, a RideShare coordinator who has worked for Amtrak since 1993, has received previous awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

About 1 1/2 years ago, Calderon started urging her co-workers to recycle white office paper and printer and toner cartridges. The program has grown to include newspapers left by commuters, pallets, cardboard, plastic bottles and much more--reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills by 35%.

Last year, 350,000 pounds of paper was recycled. Two trash compactors have been eliminated, saving $30,000. Another $3,700 was saved by refilling toner cartridges.

Calderon was nominated by Amtrak officials in Washington, D.C., who thought the award was such a long shot that they didn’t tell her. She learned Tuesday that she is being honored. The winner will be announced today.

“It’s very rewarding,” Calderon said. “My main thing is I want to acknowledge all the employees that work in L.A. that have made it successful. It’s their plaque. That’s why I’m dedicating it to them.”