City partners with Curbside Value Partnership, reports 5.6 percent increase in recycling volume.
Published April 11, 2007
The city of Omaha, Neb., has announced a 5.6 percent increase in recycling volume following the conclusion of a four-month pilot program the city launched in a partnership with the Washington DC-based Curbside Value Partnership (CVP).
The City of Omaha Public Works Department partnered with the CVP to launch an educational campaign called “Recycling…It’s O! So Easy!” The CVP is a national initiative funded by the Aluminum Can Council, designed to help communities grow participation in their residential curbside recycling programs.
The goal of the partnership with Omaha was to test messaging aimed at increasing the volume and value of materials recycled through their single-stream curbside recycling program. The city planned to accomplish this increase by growing participation and increasing the number of recycling bins distributed. Through the use of media relations, marketing and grassroots outreach the city reported a 40 percent increase in the number of bin requests during the campaign period.
As the 19th municipality to join the invitation-only CVP, Omaha initiated an extensive grassroots campaign targeted toward pockets of the city with lower levels o participation. The campaign included the development of the slogan, “Recycling…It’s O! So Easy,” the production of billboards, art work for litter cans and bus shelters, in both English and Spanish, as well as child-friendly materials for schools.
In addition to leading educational outreach efforts, the city also partnered with Keep Omaha Beautiful (KOB) and the Nebraska State Recycling Association to extend messages.
More information on “Recycling…It’s O! So Easy,” is available at www.omaharecycles.com.