Sycamore resident Ken Campbell earned a People Responsible for Improving DeKalb’s Environment award for switching to 30 percent recycled copy paper in DeKalb County offices.

Campbell, DeKalb County facilities manager, was one of three recipients recognized by the City of DeKalb’s Citizen’s Environmental Commission. Greenacre Cleaners and the DeKalb Park District also received the annual awards.

Nominated by county board member Julia Fauci, Campbell purchased 615 cases of 30 percent recycled paper for the county’s printers and copiers.

The paper change saved 111 trees and saved the county $1,875 last year, Campbell said. The decision also saved 46,110 gallons of fresh water and reduced 461 pounds of air pollution, he said.

Campbell examined whether the switch would be cost-effective for the county for more than six months.

Campbell and his staff maintain all the county government services buildings.

Campbell takes pride in maintaining and preserving the county’s important buildings because they will survive as a legacy to his work after he is gone, he said.

Campbell now is looking into conserving water with waterless urinals for the county.

The county may purchase one and study its potential with hopes of installing more if it proves beneficial, he said.

Also accepting a PRIDE award was Tom Bartnett, owner of Greenacre Cleaners, 1334 E. Lincoln Highway.

Bartnett bought $75,000 in new dry-cleaning equipment that reduced the cleaner’s volatile organic compound emissions by 10 tons a year, Bartnett said.

The third award honored the DeKalb Park District for saving time and money and helping to reduce air pollution.

The DeKalb Park District stopped mowing in areas where it deemed it unnecessary.