Curbside Value Partnership Reports on Progress Made in 2005

The aluminum industry unveiled the Curbside Value Partnership (CVP) at the National Recycling Coalition Congress in August 2005 to combat municipal recycling program funding reductions, slowing education efforts and staffing shifts as well as to capitalize on enthusiasm for creative, cost-effective solutions.

The Aluminum Can Council, which formed the CVP, describes the project as “a national initiative that engages municipalities, recycling coalitions, MRF operators, haulers and other interested third parties in collaborative efforts to educate residents, boost participation and measure their success with real data.”

Steve Thompson, director of recycling initiatives for the Aluminum Can Council (ACC), a coalition of aluminum sheet and can makers who fund the CVP, says, “We can’t wait for the problem to fix itself. There is a perfect storm happening right now and we hope communities take advantage. Scrap values are at all time highs. Communities have the opportunity to capture real value to help grow programs. Now is the time to do everything we can to help communities help themselves.”

Since its official unveiling in 2005, the CVP has been successful in attracting new partner communities, implementing campaigns and increasing participation rates in local programs. The initiatives accomplishments throughout 2005 include:

• Engaging 21 partner communities — To date, 21 communities have joined the CVP ranging from smaller communities such as Florida’s Indian River County to larger communities such as Denver. Campaigns are set to begin in early 2006 in communities that include Nashville, Omaha, Burlington County (New Jersey), seven Pennsylvania counties, Broward County (Florida) and Pasco County (Florida).
• Unveiling comprehensive national survey on municipal programs — In October 2005, the ACC released the results of an industry survey conducted among municipal officials that operate curbside recycling programs across the country. Key findings from the survey reveal that while many programs are well-established in the community, there is room to increase participation and to explore viable alternatives in collections and contract structures. Many municipal officials also expressed concern about their communications and education programs and only a small minority is satisfied with current results. Revenue sharing in contracts, as well as incentive-based options also surfaced as key priorities for officials looking to re-negotiate contracts.
• Collaborating with communities to boost participation — The CVP works one-on-one with large communities that commit to educating residents, boosting participation and measuring their success through MRF data
• Launching national resources to help U.S. communities — Any community that is interested in learning how to improve its programs can access the CVP Web site (www.RecycleCurbside.org) for the latest research findings, partner activities, best practices and communications tools and templates. Free subscriptions are also available to the partnership’s quarterly Bin Buzz newsletter that showcases best practices and provides new and creative tips for communicating.

The CVP’s central goal in 2006 is to sustain the momentum gained in 2005 to help more communities improve their recycling programs through education. Strong marketing and public relations efforts will continue to be the main focus of the CVP with partners and at the national level, according to a press release.

“We are committed to strengthening our network of current and prospective partners and to help communities realize the importance of measuring their programs and grounding their successes in real data,” Thompson says.

The Aluminum Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute joined forces as the Aluminum Can Council to form a research-based partnership with communities, haulers, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and other stakeholders to identify solutions to improving curbside recycling programs and address falling recycling rates. The Curbside Value Partnership (CVP) was created to increase residential participation in local curbside recycling programs and make curbside programs more profitable and sustainable. More information is available online at www.RecycleCurbside.org.