Aims to Reach More People to Help Increase Recycling Rate from 23% to 34%
DENVER – Mayor Michael B. Hancock, The Coca-Cola Foundation and national non-profit group The Recycling Partnership announced today the launch of a new large-scale recycling education campaign that will be piloted this summer. Denver was recently awarded a $250,000 recycling grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to pilot the public education campaign, which is being rolled out on billboards, bus shelter signs, digital advertising and postcards. Denver Public Works will also begin tagging trash carts this summer with informational cards in eight neighborhoods. The pilot, which runs through the fall, will help give Denver a better understanding of what approach works best for recycling education to support its goal of increasing recycling and composting rates from what is now 23 percent to 34 percent, the national average.
“We want our residents to be thinking about recycling every day whether they’re on a commute, taking out the trash, getting the mail, or going online. And clear and concise information is critical to keeping it top of mind for our residents and visitors,” said Mayor Hancock. “Denver has made great strides over the years educating people about the benefits of recycling and composting. Now, this new campaign is an opportunity to amplify that approach.”
Denver is one of seven cities receiving a recycling grant through The Coca-Cola Foundation as part of The Foundation’s interests in improving recycling rates, waste and helping make communities more sustainable. The recycling grants support innovative pilots that will help address some of the barriers to consumer recycling in the United States including not knowing how and what can be recycled.
“The Coca-Cola Foundation places a priority on helping communities become more sustainable by supporting innovative recycling solutions at a local level,” said Helen Smith Price, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation. “We hope this new program in Denver serves as a catalyst to drive increased recycling rates and the city becomes a model for other communities to follow.”
As part of The Coca-Cola Foundation grant, Denver is teaming-up with The Recycling Partnership to educate residents about what can and cannot be placed in their purple recycling carts. Postcards and trash cart tags with this information will be targeted to East, Central and West Denver, reaching about 22,000 households in Cheesman Park, West Colfax, Jefferson Park, Capitol Hill, Congress Park, City Park West, Denver Country Club, and Green Valley Ranch.
“The Recycling Partnership is proud to work with the City of Denver to have a long-term impact by showing residents that recycling is as easy as throwing things away,” said Chris Coady, Director of Community Programs at The Recycling Partnership. “When we waste less and recycle more, we save money and live and work in healthier communities.”
Expanding recycling education to include more community-based advertising aligns with Mayor Hancock’s Sustainability Goals, which aim to make measurable impacts on the city’s recycling rate.
To learn more about recycling and to see a list of all items accepted for recycling in Denver, please visit denvergov.org/DenverRecycles.