Mayor Ras J. Baraka, The Coca-Cola Foundation and national non-profit The Recycling Partnership announced today the launch of a new recycling education campaign that will be piloted this fall. Newark was recently awarded a $140,000 recycling grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to pilot the campaign, which is being rolled out with education on bus shelter signs, digital advertising, in-home postcards that show what can and can’t be recycled, and an update of recycling information to the City’s Recycling website: www.newarknj.gov/departments/recycling
The pilot, which runs through the fall, and is modeled after The Recycling Partnership’s proven education approach used in cities across the country, will help give Newark residents a better understanding of when to recycle what products and will support the City’s goal of residents recycling more, better.
“Our city residents want to learn how we can do better together as a community at recycling,” said Mayor Baraka.
“With the help of The Recycling Partnership and The Coca-Cola Foundation, we will be able to better inform Newark’s residents about what they can recycle on what day and how they can make a difference for our community and the planet.”
Newark is one of seven cities receiving a recycling grant through The Coca-Cola Foundation as part of The Foundation’s interests in improving capture of recyclables and helping make communities more sustainable. The recycling grants support innovative pilots that will help address some of the barriers to consumer recycling in the United States including not knowing how, what, and when it can be recycled.
“The Coca-Cola Foundation places a priority on helping communities become more sustainable by supporting innovative recycling solutions at a local level,” said Helen Smith Price, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation. “By sharing information with our Newark neighbors and friends on when, what, and where to recycle, we hope to drive increased recycling participation and reduce contamination.”
As part of The Coca-Cola Foundation grant, Newark is teaming-up with The Recycling Partnership to get residents to participate in recycling by educating them about what can and cannot be placed out for recycling and on what day. Postcards with this information will be mailed to residents in Department of Public Works Zone A – which represents about 50,000 Newark households.
“The Recycling Partnership is working closely with the City of Newark to have a long-term impact by showing residents that recycling is as easy as throwing things away,” said Chris Coady, Director of Community Programs at The Recycling Partnership. “When we waste less and recycle more, we save money and live and work in healthier communities.”
Expanding recycling education aligns with Mayor Baraka’ s Newark sustainability goals, which aim to advance a multi-pronged agenda aimed at making Newark a healthier and greener city.