King County Solid Waste Division honored for innovative programs, outreach efforts

Materials aimed at increasing recycling, reducing waste and consumer costs

Building on its national reputation for innovative solutions that save resources while keeping costs low and protecting the environment, the King County Solid Waste Division (SWD) is receiving national recognition for its public education campaigns and materials.

The award-winning programs and materials are:

• “Your Guide to Curbside Recycling,” a how-to brochure distributed to county residents, won three 2009 Communicator Awards in the Community Awareness Program category, the Overall Design category and the Educational category. The guide was created by SWD staff Sharon Aller, Lauren Cole, Gerty Coville and Amy Wurz. Sponsored by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, the Communicator Awards honor creative excellence by communications professionals. To download the curbside recycling brochure, and to learn more about recycling opportunities in King County, visit www.kingcounty.gov/recyclemore.
• The Eco-Cool Remodel Tool won two 2009 Communicator Awards in both the Government category and the Green/Eco-Friendly category. SWD staff Patti Southard, Dave Kallstrom and Jay Beach helped create this Web-based tool that gives consumers tips on how they can green up their home-remodeling projects. To learn more about King County’s EcoCool Remodel Tool, visit www.ecocoolremodel.com.
• The Recycle More and Recycle Food television spots were awarded a Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation from the Public Relations Society of America. The ads were designed to help residents understand what can be recycled and introduced them to the food compost service. To learn more about food recycling opportunities, visit www.recyclefood.com.

“We are honored to receive such recognition for our programs and materials. These awards confirm that our innovative outreach approaches are effective in getting the word out about how King County residents can save money and the environment by recycling and using green remodeling practices,” said Solid Waste Division Director Kevin Kiernan.

The King County Solid Waste Division provides garbage transfer, disposal and recycling services for residents and businesses in all of King County, except for Seattle and Milton. The division also provides household hazardous waste disposal options and recycling education programs for its residents. SWD’s service area has a population of almost 1.3 million people, or about 70 percent of King County’s population as a whole.

Founded by communication professionals over a decade ago, The Communicator Awards is an annual competition honoring the best in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and identity work for print, video, audio and interactive work. The past year's Communicator Awards received over 9,000 entries from companies and agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the world. More information about the International Academy of the Visual Arts is available at http://www.iavisarts.org/.

For the past 39 years, the Bronze Anvil Awards have recognized outstanding public relations tactics — the individual items or components that contribute to the success of an overall program or campaign. These tactics — whether a media kit, annual report, newsletter, video program, PSA, speech or Web site — are the hard-working parts of any public relations program. More information about the PRSA is available at http://www.prsa.org/awards/bronzeAnvil/baOverview.html.

Related information

Recycle More. It's Easy To Do.

Eco-Cool Remodel Tool

King County Solid Waste