When the move is over and the new home is settled, there's often one final challenge...what to do with all the moving boxes. An Austin company has built a business by putting those unwanted leftovers back to work. The effort's success has earned Eco Box the Texas Environmental Excellence Award, the state's highest environmental honor. Eco Box is one of 12 winners statewide to be recognized with an award presented by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at its annual banquet to be held in Austin April 30.

The demand for used boxes has grown so much in the last 10 years, Eco Box is now buying and selling high-quality, used boxes to companies and businesses throughout the state. The company found a niche market in buying boxes from companies responsibly ridding their storerooms of boxes accumulated from logo redesigns, graphic-printing mistakes, liquidation of inventory, and computer installation upgrades. Over the past decade, Eco Box has bought and sold more than 500,000 used boxes that otherwise might have ended up in the trash.

Always searching for environmentally friendly methods of doing business, Eco Box implemented a no-idling policy for its trucks, saving money and helping to clean the air. Inside the office, Eco Box also recycles its day-to-day paper, cans, bottles, and other materials it uses.

In 2006, Eco Box found another way to give back to the community by launching its Cardboard for Kids program, which allows customers to donate used boxes and designate that the proceeds benefit Dell Children's Hospital. Eco box feels so passionately about the Cardboard for Kids program, they match donations dollar for dollar. In its first year, the company raised $1,500 for the hospital, and in 2007 that number more than tripled to nearly $5,000.

Eco Box estimates it has recycled more than 500 tons of cardboard and paper over the last 10 years. This year, the company has launched a franchise plan, so it can expand a proven model to other cities and illustrate how a good idea can take on a life of its own.

The TCEQ annually presents the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards to environmental projects across the state that demonstrate excellence in resource conservation, waste reduction and pollution prevention. The award-winning programs reflect the goals of the TCEQ itself: to protect Texas' human and natural resources and ensure clean air, clean water and the safe management of waste. For more information or to submit an application for next year's awards, visit www.teea.org.