Alpine Waste & Recycling has received recognition for its natural gas fleet.

The U.S. Department of Energy tracks petroleum usage among its stakeholders and distributes annual awards to the organizations that record the best “displacement” of gasoline gallon equivalents. Alpine was one of the first large companies in the Denver area to begin converting its fleet to natural gas as early as 2009. Currently, the company has nearly 50 trucks powered by compressed natural gas.

Denver Metro Clean Cities made the award announcement in conjunction with the American Lung Association of Colorado at a recent National Alternative Fuels Day conference.

“We are pleased to accept this award, and we’re gratified to know that our environmental efforts at Alpine Waste & Recycling have not gone unnoticed,” Alpine President John Griffith said in a statement. “Over the years, we have pioneered several projects in our commitment to sustainability and a clean, healthy environment, including a recent commitment to the recycling of Styrofoam. We plan to continue these innovations as long as we believe we can have an impact.”