November 1, 2004

Through a new and innovative public education recycling campaign, Erie (PA) Mayor Richard E. Filippi asked residents to renew their commitment to recycling and promised to reinvest recycling savings into Erie playgrounds, parks and recreation programs. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Erie is the only city statewide to reinvest savings from recycling into playgrounds and recreation.

Erie's "blue bag" and paper residential recycling program has been around since 1990, but 12 years later, still only 51 percent of 38,000 eligible households were participating. In fact, since 1996, recycling tonnage has declined by over 6,000 tons. This level of participation was unacceptable to Filippi and the state of Pennsylvania and he took action.

Based upon recycling data provided by relevant industry trade associations, recycling rates as a whole appear to have leveled off for residential blue bag and compost recycling. Communities that were once singing the praises of their recycling programs are now focusing on other priorities and needs. In fact, recycling programs have been threatened in several communities including New York, Dallas, Cincinnati, Denver, Buffalo and Sioux City to name a few. All in all, several U.S. cities have considered comprehensively changing or discontinuing their recycling programs citing budget constraints, as well as limited program effectiveness.

Like most cities, Erie faced financial opposition in continuing its recycling programs based on numerous demands for limited funding and the program's ineffectiveness.

Upon coming into office in January 2002, Filippi outlined his five strategic priority areas: economic development, neighborhood revitalization, efficient government, enhanced public safety and creative public-private sector relationships. To achieve these goals, Filippi created Neighborhoods First, a comprehensive approach to reclaiming, rebuilding and revitalizing Erie's neighborhoods — the core of the community. It's the first comprehensive plan to spur investment and revitalize growth in the city's neighborhoods. Filippi saw a rejuvenated residential recycling campaign as a spoke in the wheel of neighborhood revitalization with targeted reinvestment of recouped recycling savings and recycling performance grants as a means to enhance the city's 52 neighborhood parks.

In late November of 2002, Filippi launched a two-year, $350,000 public education campaign to generate recycling momentum. Though there have been other campaigns both here in Erie as well as other cities, the mayor's campaign, "Help Me Turn Pop Cans into Playgrounds", communicated a clear economic message to taxpayers that an increase in recycling participation could save the city $250,000 and earn several hundred thousand more in recycling performance grants — grant funds, that Filippi publicly pledged would be restricted to Erie playgrounds, parks and recreation programs. The campaign featured Filippi in direct mail, newspaper, radio and television advertising strongly advocating for residents to renew their commitment to recycling. Filippi promised to renew the city's commitment in visible neighborhood park and recreation improvements.

In late December 2003, Filippi launched the second phase of the two-year educational campaign, "Help Me Turn Paper into Cash". The campaign emphasized paper recycling, the city receiving $2.25 per ton of recycled paper. This could result in $9,000 in additional revenue and $152,000 savings in reduced landfill fees; again, savings that Filippi promised to reinvest in the city's neighborhood parks and recreation programs.

In March 2004, Filippi announced the third phase of the campaign — a recycling collaboration between Erie and the Erie School District — "Trash into Treasure". The Erie School District initiated the comprehensive "Trash into Treasure" recycling campaign in support of Filippi's efforts to promote proper recycling. The multi-faced educational campaign conducted throughout the Erie School District also included a lease agreement between the Erie School District and Erie for a brand new $130,000 recycling dual compactor, acquired through recycling grant funds, to be used by the Erie School District during the 9-month school year to collect recyclables; Erie will utilize the new dual compactor for the remainder of the year to collect recyclables from Erie's 52 neighborhood parks, as well as the collection of composting and recyclables at night. The campaign included student contests, recycling curriculum, student-produced public television educational series and collateral materials. The program also purchased recycling containers which were placed throughout the Erie School District.

The educational campaign's four phases, totaling $364,000, were funded by the DEP. According to the DEP, "maintaining any good habit sometimes requires reminders, which is why the DEP provided funds for this public education campaign. The city is setting a great example for others throughout the Commonwealth." Erie has been awarded nearly $1.5 million in DEP recycling grants and state recycling performance grants since Filippi took office in 2002.

At the conclusion of the first year of the multi-faceted "Help Me Turn Pop Cans into Playgrounds" campaign, the campaign produced a 33 percent increase in residential recycling tonnage resulting in a visible reinvestment for taxpayers — a brand new playground built in the inner-city. In the spring of 2003, the city removed old, unsafe playground equipment and replaced it with a new modular playground built with substantial quantities of recycled plastic, aluminum and steel. The new playground equipment used recycled post consumer aluminum posts and the plastic borders surrounding the playground safety zones were made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. The city also purchased park benches and picnic tables made from plastic recycled materials and covered the playground zone with recycled wood chips. Erie continues to make progress that taxpayers can "see" in neighborhood parks including resurfacing tennis courts and outdoor pool renovations — improvements made in 2003 with residential recycling savings. A total of $170,000 was reinvested into the city's neighborhood parks in 2003. This includes renovations to a community pool, resurfaced tennis court, rebuilding and improving playground safety fall zones, and bringing electrical service to three parks to provide power for community concerts.

Neighborhood park improvement projects scheduled for 2004 included the completion of a bike path connecting Erie's Bayfront Highway bike path to Pennsylvania's SeaWay trail, the construction of a regulation football field, removal and re-planting of 150 trees and other aesthetic improvements such as sidewalk repairs, floral plantings, installation of picnic benches and tables.

Erie is continuing their recycling campaign in 2004-05, with an added incentive component, to reward residential recyclers will $50 TOPS Market gift cards. As a result, 57 percent of households in Erie have blue bags full of rinsed plastic containers, glass bottles and jars, and metal food and beverage cans out for pickup along with their regular trash. That's an increase of an additional seven percent or 300 tons of recyclables.

Erie's recycling program combines public educational messages with compliance measures and enforcement of the recycling ordinance. These efforts focus on businesses, organizations and low recycling areas identified in its recycling participation survey.

The mayor's approach to increasing recycling is results oriented and action driven. It empowers the community to be a part of the process and to share in the success. This program is truly a win-win: a win for the community and a win for the environment.