America Recycles Day• A community-driven national celebration event founded in 1997

• A cause to encourage your friends, neighbors, classmates and colleagues to recycle

• More than a day, an opportunity to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year!

OverviewAmerica Recycles DaySM (ARD), a program of Keep America Beautiful, is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Since its inception, communities across the country have participated in America Recycles Day on and around November 15 to promote environmental citizenship and encourage action. With KAB’s support, thousands of organizations, schools, colleges and universities, businesses, and government entities get involved in educating residents about recycling resources in their communities through collection drives, demonstrations, competitions, tours, displays and other special events. Event organizers register on www.americarecyclesday.org to be part of the national campaign and to access promotional and educational materials.

America Recycles Day 2012

Educating and Encouraging

• 2,065 events registered

• 2.1 million participants

• 1,528 event organizers

• 16,311 organizations supported ARD events

• 94,647 individual pledges to recycle more

• Top three items pledged- aluminum cans- plastic bottles and caps- unwanted mail

• KAB announced a “Recycling at Work Pledge” for businesses, commercial entities and institutions

• 3,770,682 pounds of recyclables collected which is the greenhouse gas equivalent of taking 280 cars off the road permanently.

From collection events for campaign election signs to cell

phones, and cans and bottles, 2.1 million

people participated in America Recycles Day

in 2012.

America Recycles DaySM

Celebrating Across the Country

National Initiative by

Giving Recycling the SpotlightFederal, state and local governments helped promote recycling by issuing America Recycles Day proclamations in their communities. In 2012, 149 proclamations were issued: in addition to the Presidential Proclamation, there were six state, 35 county and 107 local recycling proclamations.

Iowa Gov. Branstad Recognizes ARD  

America Recycles Day Media Presence in 2012 Social Media Campaigns

National media coverage

• 3,021 print, broadcast and online placements

• $5,000,844 ad value from those listed above*From October 1-November 30Source: Vocus and TV Eyes Monitoring

 

 

 

 

2,879 tweets about ARD on November 15

8,228 Facebook likes on the ARD Facebook page

Leading up to America Recycles Day, a recycling tip of the day for 15 days was issued via Facebook and Twitter, creating chatter leading up to November 15.

Community Activism NationwideIn 2012, ARD volunteers celebrated recycling by organizing 2,056 events at schools, colleges and universities, parks, government facilities, retail locations and workplaces.

Something Tells Us Recycling Is Happening At The Zoo…The Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District in Ohio partnered with the Cincinnati Zoo to hold an all-day event for elementary schools at the zoo. Stations were set up around the zoo to discuss different waste reduction, recycling, and conservation topics. Station stops included live animal demonstrations, information on saving gorilla habitats by recycling cell phones and each student got to make and take a craft made from items that could have ended up in a landfill. 560 students and adults from the community participated in the event and learned how they can help animals all over the world by reducing and recycling their waste!

I Pledge to Recycle More in 2012...The following are comments from pledge takers:

Barbara: I pledge to encourage more people to use reusable bags when shopping

Alison: I pledge to recycle all my junk mail, and opt for online bill paying whenever possible

Sara: I pledge to collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles in our school and maintain our recycling system

Patrick: I am the sustainability coordinator for my school and plan on making recycling a school wide effort.

American University: American University is committed to strive for zero waste sent to landfill and incineration.

In 201294,674 people

pledged to recycle more.

Stetson University, FL Virginia Military Institute, VA

A group of students pose with their teacher and display their recycled artwork at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Giving Cause to the Collegiate Crowd• 235 colleges and universities participated in America Recycles Day.

• University of Nevada Las Vegas collected and recycled 4,740 pounds of comingled materials during their tailgate recycling event.

• Wright State University in Ohio held a campus pledge drive where 1,200 students pledged to recycle more.

• Auburn University in Alabama promoted America Recycles Day by placing pallets of cardboard, plastics and aluminum around the campus to spotlight how many tons of each was recycled at the university in a one year period.

“It’s a Bags Life”• Barbara Bush Elementary School in Texas celebrated America Recycles Day

by promoting plastic bag recycling though “It’s a Bag’s Life” program – which educates individuals on the importance of plastic bag and film recycling. They worked in conjunction with their local Kroger grocery store to educate their community and hosted a collection event during the week of America Recycles Day. A total of 5,000 pounds of plastic bags were recycled!

Bottles and cans and holiday lights…Oh my!• Keep North Carolina Beautiful held a plastic bottle collection event on

November 10 at the Harris Teeter in Downtown Raleigh. During the six hour event, 5,160 pounds of plastic bottles were collected for recycling.

• In honor of ARD, the Recycling Association of Minnesota kicked off their statewide Recycle Your Holidays™ program on November 15. In partnership with over 500 local businesses, more than 200,000 pounds of holiday lights were collected for recycling though this campaign.

• To celebrate ARD, Lewiston, Montana community volunteers set up a recycling program to provide plastic recycling to their community. Prior to their program, the nearest plastics recycling collection center was 120 miles away. As a result of their ARD event, they collected 300 pounds of plastics for recycling but more importantly, they continue to hold monthly recycling drives at the local food co-op.

• The Tillamook County Solid Waste Authority in Oregon celebrated ARD by challenging all Tillamook County students in grades 4-6 to collect 1,500 plastic milk jugs for recycling. South county students managed to win the challenge and a park bench made of recycled materials for their district by collecting 1,500 milk jugs. Students were going to local businesses, checking dumpsters and literally beating the brush for jugs.

For more information on America Recycles Day, log on to www.americarecyclesday.org or contact Melissa Adams at madams@kab.org

Inspiring Participation In 2012

Thank you to our 2012 National Sponsors