PROVIDENCE – Mayor David N. Cicilline today launched Green Up Providence: an unprecedented campaign to protect the environment and save taxpayer dollars by doubling the City’s recycling rate.   He kicked off the campaign by distributing 100 free green and blue bins in the City’s West End, a neighborhood with low participation in the City’s recycling program.

Green Up Providence, which is designed to achieve one of the Mayor’s Operation Opportunity goals, is designed to increase Providence’s recycling rate by requiring residents to place their recycling bins at the curb on trash day next to their Big Green Can.  If the green and blue bins are not placed at the curb, the trash will not be picked up.  The program goes into effect on November 2, 2009.

“Increasing recycling saves taxpayers’ money, protects our environment and is the right thing to do.  Future generations are counting on us to do our part to reduce the impact of global warming,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “Recycling not only protects our environment and promotes sustainability, it also makes good economic sense and translates into savings for taxpayers by reducing our tipping fees,” said Mayor Cicilline. 

By doubling Providence’s recycling rate to 20% the City could reduce the cost of waste disposal (tipping fees) at the landfill by nearly $300,000.  Last year the city disposed of 64,399 tons of solid waste at a cost of $2,151,248.  However, the City exceeded the state-imposed cap by 3,770 tons, which cost taxpayers an additional $211,120.  State law will require all cities and towns to reach a recycling rate of 35% by 2012.

Green Up Providence is an integral part of Mayor Cicilline’s ongoing effort to improve the City’s waste management system.  In 2006 he launched the citywide Big Green Can program, a semi-automated waste disposal system which significantly reduced the City’s rodent problem.  According to ProvStat, a management tool that measures the delivery of City services, implementation of the Big Green Can program has resulted in an 80% reduction in calls for rodent abatement services.

Residents will learn about Green Up Providence through a comprehensive outreach effort that will include mass mailings to 57,000 households, informational stickers attached to their Big Green Cans, public service announcements, advertising, outreach to families through Providence’s public schools, neighborhood meetings and on the City’s website.  For those who do not have recycling bins, the containers can be purchased at the Department of Public Works for $5 each. 

For more information on Green Up Providence, visit the City’s website at www.providenceri.com or contact the Recycling Office in the Department of Public Works at 467-7950.

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