2017-07-05 ClimateAwards2017Winners

Home

This all-inclusive approach helps the drivers, office staff, management, and the residents. Because technology is so pervasive and makes our daily lives so much simpler, city staff thought technology could make recycling easier, too. The solution was found in the Columbia, SC, Solid Waste app powered by ReCollect. The app has given the city a way to connect with our residents on a weekly basis. Each week, residents get a notification reminding them it's collection day for garbage, recycling, and yard waste via the free mobile app, email, phone call, and even a tweet. Residents don't have to think twice about which cart goes out on which day. The city can also push education messages to the residents on what can and cannot be recycled to reduce contamination. This notification system also proved worthy during the historic South Carolina flood in October 2015 when solid waste services were shut down. Recycling has definitely become easier because of the way we communicate. The total cost of the project was $2.2 million. The city's contributions were supplemented with grant funding from national and state agencies: City of Columbia -- $1,775,000; The Recycling Partnership -- $300,000; and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control -- $125,000. To offset fleet costs, the Solid Waste Division withheld purchasing trucks on schedule to save money and have ample equipment to fully operate. With the reduction in routes, trucks and personnel, the division reduced the annual budget by $250,000. Columbia often isn't the most receptive area to "green initiatives," but in the past five years, there has been strong movement towards more sustainable living. The increase in recovered materials speaks to that. There was also feedback from residents saying, "I never recycled; but now with a roll cart, it's so much easier."