KY

Click here to return to digest listing.

Selected Articles:

Recycling Has A New Look In Eastern Kentucky

Recycling in Kentucky

Mayor's Litter-Free Louisville Summit Generates Ideas. . .

RECYCLING HAS A NEW LOOK IN EASTERN KENTUCKY

LOUISVILLE, KY (June 14, 2006) - - Fifty recycling bottle bins shaped as giant plastic bottles are coming to Eastern Kentucky as part of the beverage industry recycling campaign. The bins feature a colorful new recycle logo, and will serve as a visual reminder to recycle away from home and as collection devices for empties. 

“It’s important for us to take a leadership roll in recycling for our community,” comments Sandy Austin-Feltner, general manager Pepsi Bottling Group. “Especially when it comes to teaching our children about the importance of the environment and what recycling means for our future.” 

The Pepsi Bottling Group in partnership with the Kentucky Business Industry Recycling Program (known as B.I.R.P.), The Kentucky Beverage Association and the American Beverage Association, has purchased 50 recycling bottle bins to be placed at the following locations:

• 20 for The East Kentucky Expo Center, Pikeville KY

• 10 for Letcher Co. High School, Whitesburg KY                   

• 10 for Sheldon Clark High School, Inez KY                                                          

• 10 for Perry Central High School, Hazard KY                                      

*          *          *

.B.I.R.P. is a coalition of concerned citizens, businesses and trade associations across the Commonwealth working to promote recycling and “buy recycled programs”. Visit www.birp.org to learn more.

*          *          *

The Kentucky Beverage Association represents companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in Kentucky. It was founded in 1917. For more information visit www.kysoftdrink.org.

*          *          *

The American Beverage Association (ABA) is the coordinating organization for the recycling campaign. As the national voice for the beverage industry, the ABA provides information on legislation, science, technology, recycling and the law. The staff of legislative, scientific, technical, legal, solid waste and communications experts effectively represent the interests of its members and the public.

(Click here to return to top.)
 

RECYCLING IN KENTUCKY

We attended the Interim meeting of the House/Senate Natural Resources Legislative Committee yesterday.  The meeting was for the purpose of giving an update from the Cabinet to Legislators on the status of the clean up of illegal dumps and litter in Kentucky.

The Cabinet noted BIRP as a partner in the Kentucky Recycling Interest Group as they made their presentation.  Notably, the Cabinet reported that since passage of the $1.75 tipping fee contained in HB 174, that regular funds have been available to the tune of $15 million annually.  With these funds, over 2,700 illegal dumps have been cleaned up and 621 dumps remained to be cleaned.  Also, the latest year figures are available for the Cabinet has gathered 700,438 bags of litter covering 114,837 miles of highway.

They noted that currently in Kentucky currently 27% of households in 26 counties have access to curbside collection.  31 counties have passed mandatory garbage collection.  The Cabinet has set a goal of 35% recycling of materials by the year 2010.  Currently the state recycles common household recyclables at a rate of 22%.  The state is recycling more, but we are creating more waste as there was an increase of 222, 381 tons of waste disposed in landfills this past year.  All entities, i.e., cities, counties, Dept. of  Transportation, KY PRIDE, etc., last year cleaned up 13,942.720 pounds of litter.  Average cost per pound of littler picked up is $0.67.

BIRP will be working with the Cabinet as we work to get to the goal of 35% recycling by 2010.

(Click here to return to top.)
 

Mayor's Litter‑Free Louisville Summit
     Generates Ideas to Reduce Clutter

      'Street Spam', litter hotline and
           cigarette litter addressed. 

LOUISVILLE (January 13, 2006) ‑ Temporary signs cluttering roadways, cigarette butts, and a hotline to report litterers were among the topics discussed yesterday at Mayor Jerry Abramson's Litter‑Free Louisville Summit.

The summit, hosted by Brightside as part the ongoing community‑wide "Keep It Clean" campaign, brought more than 80 business, civic and neighborhood leaders to the Galt House Hotel and Suites to discuss issues pertaining to all forms of litter and develop new tactics to reduce litter across Louisville.

"I'm challenging citizens and businesses to get involved in cleaning up our community," Abramson said. "We created Brightside 20 years ago to mobilize our city to become more clean and green with year‑round cleanups and new initiatives. By working together; we can make our hometown a cleaner place to live."

Results of the summit include:

•  A pilot program to notify litterers of violating the law. Beginning Jan. 17, Louisville Metro Solid Waste Management workers and more than 150 Bee Line Courier drivers will call MetroCall 3 11 to report litterers, providing car license­ plate numbers, vehicle description, and details of the incident. The owner of the vehicle will receive a letter including the details of the littering incident along with a Brightside car litter bag and a reminder of the state law prohibiting littering with penalties up to $500, 12 months in jai1, or both.

• Several auto dealerships, oil‑change locations, car washes and auto‑repair shops throughout Louisville will begin placing litter bags in vehicles that are purchased or serviced.

• Six organizations will be added to the list of businesses, schools and community groups whose volunteers clean community roadways through the Brightside Green Mile program. Those organizations include: Brown‑Forman, Brownsboro Paint and Hardware, California Neighborhood Association, Jefferson County Public Schools, Pepsi and the city of Rolling Hills,

In addition, Abramson formed a Litter‑Free Louisville citizen task force and charged agencies of city government to develop campaigns to address cigarette litter and temporary signs illegally placed in the public right‑of‑way ‑ known as "street spam."

Abramson said Brightside and other city departments have together made progress In combating litter. Increased litter removal and education efforts over the past year include:

• More than 50 "Green Miles" adopted;

• Citizen volunteers cleared more than 80 tons of trash in 2005;

• Inmate crews cleared more than 26 tons of trash last year;

• Supplemental winter interstate cleanups cleared almost 150 tons of trash;

• Sidewalk sweeping was made available to neighborhoods conducting cleanups;

• Street sweeping was made available for suburban arteries for the first time, with more than 1,000 miles cleaned to date;

• Decorative trashcans purchased for downtown and distributed to Metro Council representatives for each district;

• Partnered with schools to implement the "Keep It Clean" competition in 17 area high schools and featured litter prevention in the Eco‑Drama program available to all 3rd grade classrooms.

Sponsors of the Litter‑Free Louisville Summit include: BIRP‑ Business Industry Recycling Program, Galt House Hotel & Suites, Keep America Beautiful, and White Castle. 

For help organizing a neighborhood cleanup or questions regarding any of the above initiatives, call Brightside at 574‑2613 or email keepitclean@louisvilleky.gov For more litter‑related information, visit: www.keepitcleanlouisville.org.

(Click here to return to top.)