NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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County councillors received a first-hand look at the County of Simcoe’s new green bin marketing and events campaign during its meeting on Tuesday.
As the County strives to increase its diversion rate and grow participation in its green bin program, it is rolling out a multi-platform campaign to engage, motivate and educate County residents about the benefits of using their green bins, with a heavy emphasis on regional youth educating today’s parents and adults.
The campaign leads with a call to action: Grow Your Green Bin. Not Your Garbage! It is being promoted through TV ads, online videos, print, billboard and radio ads, social media and a household mailer. There is also a contest running on local radio throughout the summer for a chance to win great prizes.
The campaign features children educating the public about the benefits of using greens bins. It also aligns with the County’s “Learning and Living Green” program where more than 100 local schools participate in waste education and diversion initiatives.
Another component of the campaign is a summer festival and event series where the County’s green bin team is touring to all 16 member municipalities to attend events and raise awareness about the use of green bins. The event includes a 9-metre-high inflatable green bin to drive home the message.
For a full list of summer events and details about the Grow Your Green Bin campaign, visit www.simcoe.ca/growyourgreenbin
“We’re second in the province when it comes to overall waste diversion, and while our residents deserve credit for our continued improvement, we still have room to grow when it comes to our green bin program,” said Warden Gerry Marshall. “About 40 per cent of our residents don’t use a green bin, and 58 per cent of green bin material is still going into the garbage stream. Our call to action is simple, food is not garbage so please grow your green bin.”
The County has a helpful tool on its website that lists the materials accepted in its green bin program https://www.simcoe.ca/dpt/swm/where. In addition to food scraps, items such as coffee cups, food-contaminated cardboard products, paper towel, dryer lint, and wood stir sticks can all go in the green bin.
While residents can use backyard compost to dispose of their food scraps, it is important to remember that the items listed above should also stay out of the garbage stream.
The County’s commitment to growing it’s green bin program and overall diversion includes ongoing promotion and education, student awareness, new collection programs such as battery, textile and electronics, the addition of new materials being accepted in its green bin program (October 2018) and the proposed development of a local organics processing facility operated by the County.
County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
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