Recycling increases in Minnesota

As a supplement to the state’s Recycle MORE campaign, the Curbside Value Partnership (CVP) joined forces with the Recycling Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Three communities were selected with fairly intense education conducted and evaluated over a three-month time frame.

Among the participating communities, Minnesota saw an average 13 percent improvement in recycling volume over years prior.

Beginning in November 2008 on America Recycles Day, CVP worked closely with St. Louis County, McLeod County and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, which represents Duluth, to improve collection in collaboration with Recycle MORE, the State of Minnesota’s statewide initiative aimed at increasing residential recycling awareness and participation.

The state of Minnesota was selected by CVP, a national invitation-only program of Keep America Beautiful designed to help communities grow their curbside programs through education, because of the strength of its statewide education campaign and leadership in recycling. Together with the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), CVP implemented and measured a grassroots and social marketing campaign designed around existing Recycle MORE creative material to reach residents through strategic marketing and media relations.

To help increase Minnesota’s recycling rate, McLeod County, St. Louis County and Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) launched a series of advertisements, including billboards, grocery store displays, movie theater ads and local public access channel ads. The advertisements were designed to motivate residents to recycle more – whether at the curb or at the many regional drop-off sites. CVP supplemented the existing ad campaign with in-store promotional displays at area retailers, thanks to a partnership with Bernick’s Pepsi Bottlers.