Otterbein College, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church and Raisin Rack Natural Foods Market are among the 21 finalists for the awards.

According to SWACO spokesman John Remy, an independent panel of judges selected finalists who exemplify excellence in six categories: litter clean-up, environmental education, entrepreneurship, partnership, innovation and leadership. Finalists are also competing for the top Emerald Award, an honor reserved for finalists who meet many of the qualifications in the six categories, Remy said.

"Central Ohio is becoming more sophisticated every day in a green approach to our world," SWACO executive director Ron Mills said. "Our panel of judges spent hours poring over some outstanding projects and programs. I know when the winners are announced, there will be many great examples for others in greater Columbus to follow as they grow green."

Remy said the Westerville finalists stood out from a field high in quality.

"We had 42 nominees this year, and I think in the cases of these three (from Westerville), they just stood out in terms of having some really good projects," Remy said. "The Raisin Rack has been in business for quite a while and doing very well; Otterbein has been partnered with SWACO for a while and is constantly working hard on the greening of its campus. St. Paul has also been a partner of SWACO, working with us in terms of organizing recycling efforts and laying things out recycling-wise for their entire campus."

Remy said maintaining a partnership with SWACO is not a requirement for nomination for the Emerald Awards.

St. Paul parish development director Helmut Naunheimer said the Rev. David Gwinner's efforts in recycling have been felt throughout the church and its school.

"Our parish has embraced the whole idea of recycling because of him," Naunheimer said. "We have consultants come in and talk about different ways we can recycle, particularly with the amount of waste that's generated by a school. We have recycle bins in all of the classrooms now, and in the other buildings as well."

The Raisin Rack was recognized for its holistic approach to natural foods, according to Remy The market offers a variety of bulk grains, herbs, nuts and seeds, as well as organically grown fruits and vegetables and a selection of vitamins, minerals, herbals and other nutrients.

Otterbein spokeswoman Jennifer Pearce said the college considers sustainability to be one of its most important goals. The college incorporated a "trayless" cafeteria in 2008, a program that has proven to reduce food waste by up to 50 percent. Otterbein also uses technology to track each student's paper usage at the college's computer work stations, according to Pearce, and participates in several other recycling and volunteering programs in the community.

"It's great to see faculty, staff and students get engaged and excited about what recycling brings to our world," Pearce said. "Many of our students are leaders in the green revolution."

This year's winners in the Emerald Awards' six categories will be named May 12 at SWACO's Emerald Awards luncheon. It will start at 11:30 a.m. at the Aladdin Shrine Center at Easton.