City of Woodland Teams Up with Keep California Beautiful, American Chemistry Council and others to Increase Recycling Options: Effort puts more recycling bins in parks for plastics, other items
Woodland, CA (September 25, 2009) – The City of Woodland, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Keep California Beautiful (KCB), PG&E and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation today unveiled a new program that gives Woodland residents and businesses more access to “away-from-home” recycling opportunities, to help keep plastics and other products out of the waste stream and in recycling bins.
A total of 24 bins will be installed at the Woodland Community & Senior Center, Ferns Park and other locations throughout the city, to help protect the state’s environment for future generations.
Woodland is the latest community in an effort that began in 2008 when representatives from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, ACC and KCB launched a beach recycling program at state parks sites in the Los Angeles and Central Coast areas. The program soon spread to state parks beaches in San Diego, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and the City of Brentwood.
"The City of Woodland welcomes the partnership with the American Chemistry Council, PG&E, and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation to encourage recycling opportunities in our city parks. These recycling bins will create ‘teachable moments’ for both youth and adults as Woodland continues its efforts towards sustainability," said Skip Davies, mayor of the City of Woodland.
"PG&E is proud to have the opportunity to partner with the City of Woodland by heightening recycling awareness," said PG&E Public Affairs Manager James Morante. "Doing the right thing starts with each of us individually. This program will make recycling simple, while preserving Woodland's city parks."
"There is a no more sacred connection than the one between our people and the earth,” said Marshall McKay, tribal chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “We must all work together to help maintain the beauty of this land."
The recycling of plastics in California, particularly in away-from-home settings, can help reduce litter and marine debris. As a result, program participants welcome opportunities to work with cities like Woodland to deliver additional recycling bins and educational displays reminding people that plastics are too valuable to waste and should be recycled.
Since its inception, the “Plastics. Too Valuable to Waste. Recycle.SM” campaign has found success in a variety of areas.
“Our combined efforts have led to the placement of more than 500 permanent and seasonal recycling bins on dozens of state parks beaches along California's coastline,” said Christine Flowers-Ewing, director of Keep California Beautiful.“ The partnership owes much of its success to a shared purpose: government, the private sector, and my non-profit all want to provide Californians with access to away-from-home recycling.”
“In times like these, such public-private partnerships can sometimes be the only way to provide important services,” she added.
"Too much plastic – including many readily recyclable products – is ending up as litter on our beaches, in our waterways and in our neighborhoods,” said Steve Russell, vice president, plastics, of the American Chemistry Council. “We know Californians want to recycle more. This opportunity to work with the City of Woodland highlights our commitment to working with government, nonprofit groups and other recycling partners, to help make our environment cleaner for the future of California.”
More than 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a recycling program, be it curbside collection or community drop-off centers. While there are approximately 2,100 certified recycling centers in California, too many people still see plastics as trash instead of valuable materials that should be recycled.
