News from the City of Wilmington

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Wilmington Celebrates Another Anniversary of its Voluntary Curbside Recycling Program and Honors the City’s “Top Recyclers”

Latest Statistics Point to Continued Success for Wilmington’s Recycling Program

Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker today celebrated with city officials, RecycleBank representatives and citizens another anniversary of the City’s ground-breaking, single-stream curbside recycling initiative. Today’s event honored the City’s “Top 24 Recyclers” (see chart with news release) at which time the latest statistics on the highly successful program were released.

During a ceremony at the Louis L. Redding City/County Building on French Street, Mayor Baker thanked the thousands of Wilmington citizens who have made Wilmington the leader in Delaware and the region for voluntary curbside recycling. A large banner was unveiled that will hang in the lobby of City Hall bearing the names of the 24 individuals and families who recycled the most pounds per household in their respective collection areas over the past year. Each “Top Recycler” also received an award today to recognize their achievement.

Mayor Baker said Wilmington’s recycling efforts are not limited to the RecycleBank program; the City is also recycling in other areas. Over the last few years, City sanitation crews have been recycling yard waste on City-owned property while citizens have placed tons of yard waste at the curb. The bulk of the yard waste is generated during spring and fall clean-up projects in neighborhoods citywide such as Operation Clean Sweep. Last year alone, the City collected and composted over 1,000 tons of leaves, grass clippings, and other organic yard wastes.

Wilmington’s Public Works department is also collecting and recycling concrete and asphalt waste produced during routine street, sewer, and sidewalk maintenance. This past year, the city has recycled 40 tons of concrete and 100 tons of asphalt.
 
“Wilmington continues to set the pace for other municipalities through all of our many greening initiatives,” said Mayor Baker. “Our success in diverting waste from our landfill is evidence that our residents recognize the value and importance of recycling. The numbers speak for themselves.”

The latest recycling results of the City’s voluntary program include:

• 90% participation by approximately 20,000 residential units in the City, meaning that nearly every home with a RecycleBank cart has participated in recycling during the past month. Originally the City placed carts at approximately 23,000 homes, but over the past two years, the number has reduced to 20,000 because of non-participation or because a property was determined to be vacant.

• Wilmington’s diversion rate (the amount of the total trash stream that is diverted into recycling versus being disposed at the landfill) stands at 31%. This means that over the past year, approximately 7,121 tons from the City’s total trash stream has been diverted into recycling. Curbside Recycling was responsible for 85% of the diversion rate while yard waste collection and composting accounted for the other 15% diverted. Before Wilmington’s RecycleBank Program began, it is estimated that approximately 2% to 3% of the City’s total trash stream was being recycled.
  
• Based on the total amount of waste collected and recycled in Wilmington over the past year, approximately 61,000 trees have been saved and more than 3.3 million gallons of oil has been conserved. These carbon footprint reductions are based on the raw materials saved in the production of goods made from the recycled material that has been collected in Wilmington.
  
• In the past year, Wilmington residents have redeemed RecycleBank Rewards at approximately 400 local or nationally-affiliated retail outlets that have an overall potential savings value of more than $500,000
  
• The average household’s RecycleBank account balance has enough points to have a potential savings value of more than $250.
  
• In the past year, the City and regional economy has benefited from an estimated $2.1 million generated by spending with the RecycleBank rewards program

“Recycling is an extremely important component of the City of Wilmington’s efforts to reduce its energy footprint,” said Public Works Commissioner Kash Srinivasan. “We know we cannot continue to dump all of our waste into the landfill. With the help of citizens all over this City, we have altered our attitude and behaviors, we have partnered with an innovative company like RecycleBank, and together we are beginning to solve the enormous environmental challenge of waste disposal,” said the Commissioner. Today, all of Wilmington, and in particular, the leading citizen recyclers who are with us today, can be very proud of what we have achieved.”

Additional information about Wilmington’s RecycleBank Program:

• Began as a 6-month pilot program in four areas of the City in June of 2006
• Expanded citywide in March of 2007; Citywide implementation completed in August of 2007
• Approximately 100 local retailers and more than 300 national retailers participate in the RecycleBank Rewards Program.

“We are pleased to honor our City’s “Top Recyclers,” who deserve special recognition for their efforts to make Wilmington a “greener” city,” said City Council Member At-Large Charles “Bud” Freel who, along with the Mayor and Commissioner, championed the City’s adoption of curbside recycling. “At the same time, we want to thank all Wilmington residents who have adopted the practice of recycling in their homes. Wilmington will only continue to prosper if everyone assumes their fair share of the responsibility to keep our City clean.

Also honored today by the City were the businesses and retailers that support the rewards portion of the City’s RecycleBank program, including Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware, Riverfront Market, Ward’s Fine Wines, Yo-Yo Joes, the Delaware Art Museum, Gallucio’s, and the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Mayor Baker said together we will can ensure that future generations enjoy the same quality of life—or better—than we enjoy today through recycling and other greening initiatives.

Wilmington’s Top Recyclers

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