Keep America Beautiful Celebrates America Recycles Day With “State of Recycling” Forum

STAMFORD, Conn., November 14, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Keep America Beautiful, in celebration of America Recycles Day, is hosting the 2018 “State of Recycling” Forum in Washington, D.C., presented in partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper. This year’s topic is “Cleaning Up Recycling: Motivating Individuals to Recycle.” The Forum, which take place Nov. 15 starting at 9:15 a.m., will be streamed via Facebook Live on Keep America Beautiful’s Facebook page.

America Recycles Day, a Keep America Beautiful national initiative that takes place on and in the weeks surrounding Nov. 15, recognizes the economic, environmental and social benefits of recycling, and provides an educational platform to raise awareness about the value of reducing, reusing and recycling – every day – throughout the year.

Local organizations, including Keep America Beautiful’s national network of more than 600 community-based affiliates, governmental institutions, schools, businesses, faith-based organizations and other community partners, schedule educational workshops and recycling collection events in communities throughout the fall in celebration of America Recycles Day.

Now in its fourth year, the “State of Recycling” Forum is hosted annually by Keep America Beautiful to provide an overview of the opportunities and challenges facing recycling in the United States, as well as addressing critical topics that impact and can be influenced by industry stakeholders, government, and individuals. The Forum is held in conjunction with America Recycles Day.

“Through the 2018 ‘State of Recycling’ Forum, we’ll gain a better understanding of what motivates individuals to recycle and establish priorities for advancing education and awareness to improve recycling rates and reduce material contamination,” said Helen Lowman, president and CEO, Keep America Beautiful. “Keep America Beautiful is pleased to host this important Forum, examining the underlying consumer motivators to recycle, in partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper.”

Sessions can be seen, starting at 9:15 a.m. (EST), at www.facebook.com/KeepAmericaBeautiful. Viewers can submit questions to the panel if they want to engage in the national dialogue.

• Promoting Recycling Behavior:  What Works – Wesley Schultz, Ph.D. Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, California State University

What motivates recycling behavior? What Works? What has an impact? What are the essential elements of an education process and campaign that will increase recycling rates and reduce contamination? What does research tell us about changing behavior?

• Town Hall Focus Group Panel – Framing the recycling message

Facilitated group discussion of individual recyclers, nonrecyclers, MRF operators, haulers, recycling end-market, and local government officials with recycling programs.

Panelists include: Stephanie Baker, Director of Market Development, KW Plastics Recycling Division; Bruce Bates, President, Bates Trucking and Trash Removal; Matt Bedingfield, Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer, Tri-Arrows Aluminum Inc.; Bob Cappadona, Vice President, Casella Recycling; Dylan de Thomas, VP of Industry Collaboration, The Recycling Partnership; Kelley Dennings, Director of Social Marketing, Action Research; Kanika Greenlee, Executive Director, Keep Atlanta Beautiful; Joaquin Mariel, Vice President of Operations, Balcones Resources; Jim Nordmeyer, Vice President, Global Sustainability, O-I; Will Sagar, Executive Director, Southeast Recycling Development Council; Nicole Smith, Sustainability Manager-Customer Collaborations, Coca-Cola North America; and Neha Thatte, Brand Manager, Keurig Dr Pepper.

Sponsors of this year’s America Recycles Day include American Chemistry Council, Carton Council, H&M, International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), Keurig Dr Pepper, Merrell and Northrop Grumman.

Keep America Beautiful also encourages people to #BeRecycled in every aspect of their lives. Available online and via paper pledges at events across the country, the #BeRecycled Pledge is a promise to actively choose to live a recycled lifestyle by committing to “Reduce. Reuse. Repurpose. Recycle.” in all aspects of one’s daily life:

• Recycling at home, work/school and on the go;
• Buying products made with recycled content; and
• Educating and encouraging friends, family and neighbors to take the #BeRecycled Pledge.

Learn more at http://AmericaRecyclesDay.org.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Celebrating its 65th Anniversary in 2018, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.

Behavior change – steeped in education, research and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.

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