Washington State Department of Ecology invited from businesses and government facilities operating in an environmentally favourable manner for the Governer's Award for pollution prevention and sustainable practices. Applications for the award, are open to facilities that reduce their use of toxic materials, amount of waste and emissions or their consumption of resources including raw materials, energy and water resources. The winning entries, to be selected by a panel of judges, will have created systems of doing business that prevent pollution and use resources in a way that does not exceed the environment's ability to provide and regenerate resources that will be needed in the future.