North Carolina City Sees Increase in Diversion

On America Recycles Day in 2009, the city of Greenville, N.C., unveiled a campaign challenging residents to increase their recycling with the help of the Curbside Value Partnership (CVP). According to the city’s data, recycling increased by 10.4 percent when compared to the same time frame (December 2009 through March 2010) a year earlier. 

The campaign reminded residents about recycling basics, such as acceptable materials, through direct mailers, utility bill inserts, ads in various local media and a traveling recycling trailer that made appearances throughout the city. A new Web page, www.RecycleMoreGreenville.org, was created to give residents further information about the city’s recycling program.

Wes Anderson, director of public works for the city of Greenville, says, “An increase of more than 10 percent over just four months tells me that the education campaign helped to increase resident’s awareness of the products that can be recycled.”

CVP, a national invitation-only recycling program of Stamford, Conn.-based Keep America Beautiful (KAB), partnered with the city of Greenville and KAB affiliate, Keep Greenville Beautiful, as well as the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA). The groups launched a localized campaign to increase awareness of recycling and to promote the ease of the Greenville recycling program. While the campaign remains active in Greenville, CVP evaluated the first four months of the effort to determine its effect.

Steve Thompson, program director for the Curbside Value Partnership, says, “Our hope is that the residents of Greenville sustain the momentum, continue to be diligent recyclers and even take their recycling efforts to the next level.”