Karla Olson, a member of the city’s environmental advisory committee, spearheaded a recent dumpster dive to see how residents are doing on the recycling front. The city has found there’s definitely some room for improvement, and they’re providing ideas for residents. Photograph By Jennifer Gauthier While recycling has become second…
How can we resolve the different perspectives about plastic packaging? We need to try. An environmentalist and a plastics representative walk into a bar. The environmentalist says, “Plastic is killing the planet.” The plastics representative responds, “But plastics save resources by being so efficient!” They roll their eyes at one…
In just a few weeks we’ll start hearing the buzz around the new smartphones being released during the second half of the year. Rumored releases include the Google Pixel 2, Apple iPhone 8, HTC 11 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. There are even newcomers on the market like the…
Orange County Waste and Recycling, in partnership with Discovery Cube Orange County and Angels Baseball, recently announced the winners of its fifth annual Eco Challenge Poster Contest, themed “Battling for a Green Planet.” Students ages 8-14 were encouraged to submit posters promoting the need to keep green waste and food…
Plastic bottle recycling campaign boosts recycling rate in Raleigh Durham Triangle Your Bottle Means Jobs (YBMJ) is a campaign message recently used by the Carolina Plastics Recycling Council (CPRC) in the Raleigh Durham Triangle region to stimulate more recycling by connecting that activity with job creation. The goal of the campaign is to…
Dunn County’s ReCyclone, dubbed “A Force of Nature for Nature,” was created in 2012 with help from a customer at a local children’s theater. Her educational purpose is similar to other industry colleagues, yet ReCyclone’s tale is one unlike any other: “There once was a town that had no clue…
Scout the Green Raccoon is considered the “centerpiece” of waste reduction and recycling in New Braunfels, TX. While he started as a 2-D character, he was turned into a costumed mascot in 2013 — and has been interacting with the community ever since. He is the focus of an activity…
When DSNY isn’t engaging with the New York community at food waste fairs or anti-litter basketball campaigns, it’s making appearances at various school and sporting events with the help of its four waste and recycling mascots. The oldest of the group, the “waste watcher” trash can, has been around since the late ’80s….
Montgomery County has heavily invested in educational mascots, especially in its environmental services department — where the county has Curby the Cardinal and Lucky the Ladybug (along with water services mascots Dewey and Splash). Curby, the oldest of the team, was introduced in February 1991 with the mission to promote…
Wiser the Minimizer is an eight-year-old owl mascot — adapted into a costume from his original 2-D art — who promotes waste reduction and attends special events across St. Albert, including the TD Clean and Green Riverfest. He’s featured in educational and outreach materials (including a coloring book) and the city is soon installing…
In October 2015, Totes McGoats was introduced to the Niagara Falls, NY community as a recycling mascot created by the Sanitation Waste Education Enforcement Team (SWEET) Program Coordinator Brook D’Angelo. One year after the “goat-human” hybrid was introduced, Niagara Falls had increased its recycling rate by 50% and cut the amount of trash it…
In the fall of 1993, Chester County officials asked students to design a recycling mascot for use in educational purposes — one that would be printed on t-shirts, turned into a costume, and presented at community events. That 24-year-old mascot is Reecie Recycle, a Chester County staple who was later…
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