Outagamie County, Wisconsin, conducted an award-winning cart rollout that showcased how multiple communities can come together to leverage funds to achieve a programmatic change. Starting in August 2016, the county partnered with The Recycling Partnership to roll out carts to 13 of its 32 communities (11 other communities in the county were already in single-stream carts). A portion of the grant funding went toward education and outreach – announcing the new carts and teaching residents how to use them.
In addition to upgrading its infrastructure, Outagamie County also upgraded its recycling program, effectively doubling its acceptable materials list. When residents received their new cart, they could now recycle cartons and all plastic bottles and containers, in addition to cans and paper.
In 2018, Outagamie County received two awards for the joint project: The Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin’s 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Recycling Education Award and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Recycling Excellence Award for Projects and Initiatives.
“Outagamie County is a shining example of how to not settle for status quo, and we’re exceedingly proud to partner with them. They are seizing opportunities to add depth and breadth, taking the changes two at a time…think of what our industry could accomplish if every program followed their lead,” says Cody Marshall at The Recycling Partnership.