White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA announced that Harbor Distributing LLC of California and High Country Beverage of Colorado have been selected as this year’s recipients of the company’s 1864 Award for Responsibility and Sustainability. For the first time, the 2016 selection process considers environmental sustainability efforts, as well as best-in-class practices promoting responsible consumption and moderation, the company says. The award was presented to the winners on Oct. 20 at the Heineken USA annual National Distributor Conference in Chicago.

Heineken USA has a long history of working with its distributor partners to elevate responsible consumption around the globe, it says. To be considered for the annual award, distributors submitted initiatives including safe ride partnerships; carbon emissions reduction; glass recycling education and awareness; Alcohoot, the world’s first smartphone breathalyzer promoting smart decisions based on blood alcohol content; and Health Alliance on Alcohol, a national public responsibility initiative developed in partnership with Heineken USA, New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and White Plains Hospital.

“At Heineken we truly care about the impact we make in this world so sustainability and responsibility efforts are now included in our global strategy as a key business priority,” said Tara Rush, senior vice president and chief corporate relations officer of Heineken USA, in a statement. “We are committed to working side-by-side with our distributor partners to encourage responsible consumption of our products, and protect the environments in which we live, work and play. We are proud to work with partners who embrace these values and actively strive to put them into action.”

Harbor Distributing LLC partnered with the Health Alliance on Alcohol to engage its community on underage drinking through Project Access; with Uber and Curb to provide safe rides during holidays and at Heineken USA-sponsored events; with education groups and community organizations to prevent alcohol access to minors; and with the Anaheim Police Department to promote alcoholic awareness at the annual National Night Out event at Stoddard Park in Anaheim, Calif. Effective environmental sustainability efforts include the use of all electric handling equipment, warehouse energy-efficient LED lighting, waste recycling and reducing fleet emissions through the use of hybrid trucks.

High Country Beverage, through its Take Care Responsibility Program, creates awareness of responsible alcohol consumption through billboard and radio advertising, and by distributing thousands of Take Care cards on area college campuses during orientation and at sporting events. The distributor also partners with Team Fort Collins, a non-profit group that provides drug and alcohol prevention and education services to parents and youths. Its environmental sustainability initiatives include fleet carbon emissions reduction, the use of all electric warehouse equipment, and the laying of a conduit for electric vehicle charging stations.