Recycle DSM Program Expansion Brings 42 New Bins To Downtown Des Moines

Grant from Keep America Beautiful and the Coca-Cola Company furthers expansion

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recycle DSM (Des Moines), a partnership between the City of Des Moines and Operation Downtown, announced today the addition of 42 new recycling bins for Downtown. The new bins will be placed in the Historic East Village and the Western Gateway.

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Recycle DSM aims to create a cleaner and greener Downtown Des Moines. The program began in October with eight receptacles in the Historic East Village and has now expanded to 50 bins.  The Coca-Cola/Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant Program awarded a grant for recycling bins to Operation Downtown. The City of Des Moines Public Works Department has also provided additional investment to expand Recycle DSM.

"The Recycle DSM program aligns with the City of Des Moines' comprehensive plan called PlanDSM, which calls for the reduction of solid waste headed to the landfill," said Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie. "We are grateful to the Coca-Cola/Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant Program, which is making this significant expansion possible."

The Recycle DSM program builds off of existing efforts that include cigarette butt recycling through Operation Downtown and recycling at various Downtown events, in addition to efforts by residential and commercial property owners to offer recycling options to their residents and employees. The expansion of the existing program extends recycling from the residential and commercial to the public realm.

In addition to the recycling bins, sidewalk art installed throughout East Village and Western Gateway encourages residents and Downtown workers and visitors to recycle. The art includes phrases such as "Eat.Drink.Recycle." and "The future is in your hands — Recycle DSM."

"A greener Downtown makes this a more attractive place for residents, workers and visitors," said Tiffany Tauscheck, Chief Communications Officer for the Downtown Community Alliance, which manages Operation Downtown. "We encourage Downtown Des Moines patrons to use these receptacles to help keep Downtown Des Moines clean, safe and beautiful."

The Coca‑Cola/Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant Program addresses one of the primary barriers to recycling in public spaces by making access to recycling bins more readily available and convenient.

In total, the Coca-Cola/Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant Program will provide 3,522 recycling bins to colleges and universities, along with 996 bins to local governments and nonprofit organizations during the 2016-2017 grant cycle. The recycling bins are made possible through a grant from The Coca‑Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company.

More than 45 percent of the bins are designed specifically for permanent, ongoing use in public spaces such as athletic fields, K-12 schools, fairs and festivals, special events and park settings, with the remaining 55 percent to be used by students in college residence hall settings. The program is expected to result in an estimated 1 million pounds of recyclable materials collected during their first year in use.

"The number one thing we can do to get people to recycle is make it convenient," said Brenda Pulley, senior vice president, recycling, Keep America Beautiful. "With Coca-Cola's continued support, the grant program addresses that need by creating thousands of new opportunities for people to recycle in public areas across the country."

"At Coca-Cola, we are working with partners across the country to invest in, and support a strong recycling system," said Bruce Karas, vice president of sustainability, Coca-Cola North America. "Through partnerships like the Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant program, we can help reduce overall waste by making it even easier and more convenient for people to recycle both at home and in public spaces." 

"We are pleased to be a part of this very important program," said Kirk Tyler, Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, a privately owned, independent bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products for nearly all of Iowa, as well as parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. "An investment in Downtown Des Moines is an investment in Greater Des Moines, and it is our hope that these receptacles will be utilized by residents, employees and visitors alike as they enjoy Downtown."

The Coca-Cola/Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant Program addresses lack of convenient recycling receptacles by providing a significant number of bins in strategic locations. Including the 2016 grants, over 49,000 recycling bins will have been placed by the program in 925 communities nationwide since its inception in 2007. In addition to the grants, Keep America Beautiful provides technical best practice guidance to grant recipients and organizations about setting up effective away-from-home and on-the-go recycling programs.

Grant recipients were chosen by Keep America Beautiful based on their potential to collect the most cans and bottles as well other considerations such as the extent of their need, recycling experience, and their ability to sustain the program in the future. A full list of the Coca-Cola/Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant recipients, as well as Keep America Beautiful's best practices guide, "Designing Effective Public Space Recycling Programs," are available at BinGrant.org.

Behavioral research has shown that two of the primary barriers that stop people from recycling are the lack of convenient opportunities and confusion about what and how to recycle.  A 2009 study conducted by Keep America Beautiful showed only 12 percent of surveyed public locations had infrastructure to recover recyclable items. This lack of recycling opportunities is reflected in a separate national survey conducted for Keep America Beautiful in 2013, in which 92 percent of respondents said they recycle at home while only 41 percent indicated that they typically recycle in public spaces. In addition to providing more convenient opportunities to recycle, the Coca-Cola/Keep America Beautiful Recycling Bin Grant helps to address the issue of confusion by providing bins that incorporate recognized best practices for bin design and labeling.

Learn more about RecycleDSM at OperationDowntown.com/Recycling.

About the City of Des Moines
Founded in 1851, the City of Des Moines is Iowa's capital city and local government organization. Des Moines is committed to maintaining a financially strong city with exceptional customer service while fostering an involved community with residents and businesses alike. Serving more than 212,000 residents and businesses, the City of Des Moines is responsible for managing 82.6 square miles of land. For more information on the City of Des Moines local government visit dmgov.org, like us on Facebook (DesMoinesGov), follow us on Twitter  (@DesMoinesGov) and watch Des Moines Television (DMTV)  Mediacom cable channel 7-1 and 7-2.

About Operation Downtown
Operation Downtown is a Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID). Managed by the Downtown Community Alliance, it is responsible for ensuring that Downtown Des Moines remains safe, clean and beautiful. Visit OperationDowntown.com for more information.

About the Downtown Community Alliance
The Downtown Community Alliance (DCA), part of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, cultivates a shared vision for Downtown Des Moines through leadership, initiative, advocacy, partnerships and shared solutions. As part of its dedication to cultivating a vibrant Downtown Des Moines core, the DCA produces events that promote Downtown and enhance the quality of life and economic vitality of our community. Visit DowntownDesMoines.com for more information.

About Keep America Beautiful
At Keep America Beautiful, we want to ensure that beauty is our lasting signature. A leading national nonprofit, Keep America Beautiful inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. We envision a country where every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful provides the expertise, programs and resources to help people End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America's Communities. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 620 community-based Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the support of corporate partners, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. To donate or take action, visit kab.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, or view us on YouTube.

About The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $820 million in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please visit www.coca-colagivingback.com.

Contact:
Sophia S. Ahmad
(515) 286-4919
sahmad@desmoinesmetro.com