NRRA recognizes outstanding recycling program

The Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) has recognized the city of Danvers, Massachusetts, with its “2015 Outstanding Recycling Program” award.

Danvers’ recycling rate has increased 28 percent in the last three years for a current rate of 30 percent. While trash generation has remained somewhat stable, recycling tonnage has increased in years two and three by nearly 3 percent per year, the NRRA says.

In her nomination, Gail Bernard, the Danvers Department of Public Works program coordinator, says: “Recycling in Danvers has been an exciting initiative for the town since 2012 with the implementation of weekly mandatory recycling and trash reduction and the expansion of the recycling program in our schools. These programs have increased out recycling rates and reduced our trash tonnage.”

Danvers achieved its improvement in its recycling rate by limiting trash picked up curbside from five bags/barrels per week to three per week, while curbside recycling changed from biweekly to weekly with no limit on the number of bags/barrels. The city also has a drop-off facility in place and hosts two weekends annually called “Outside of the Bin” for items such as textiles, media, electronics, rigid plastics and paper shredding.

The city promotes its recycling program through direct mailings; distribution of a town calendar with trash and recycling rules in January electrical bills; periodic press releases and public service announcements; flyers posted in town offices and distributed to students; a video of recycling dos and don’ts aired on local cable and available at http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T00910&video=150373. Additionally, students are educated and engaged through poster contests and a student calendar, and recycling bins are sold at discounted prices. The city also created a “Danvers Recycles” logo and offers free “Recycle” stickers for containers. 

Danvers received a Technical Assistance Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a pilot elementary school recycling program in 2012 and a school recycling grant in 2013 to increase recycling in Danvers’ seven public schools.  

“Danvers continues to educate students and staff through various media, including environmental presentations, the staff’s Daily News email, morning announcements, flyers, etc.,” Bernard says. “Danvers is working hard to educate students and residents so we can be a sustainable community.”

The award was presented at NRRA’s 34th Annual Northeast Recycling Conference and Expo, which was June 8-9, 2015, at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, New Hamphsire.

The NRRA is nonprofit cooperative working with its membership to make their recycling programs strong, efficient and financially successful.