{"id":2983,"date":"2014-09-23T14:31:27","date_gmt":"2014-09-23T14:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wasteadvantagemag.com\/?p=2983"},"modified":"2014-09-23T14:31:27","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T14:31:27","slug":"kids-artwork-mcneilus-help-promote-florida-haulers-new-recycling-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wasteadvantagemag.com\/kids-artwork-mcneilus-help-promote-florida-haulers-new-recycling-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Kids\u2019 Artwork and McNeilus Help Promote Florida Hauler\u2019s New Recycling Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
To get refuse customers on board and to promote the new single-sort program, the city of Lakeland turned to the local schools. Students in second through fifth grade from 11 Lakeland area schools put their thoughts in color on paper for a poster contest depicting how they view recycling and Earth Day. <\/em><\/p>\n Kelli Sandhurst<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Recycling has become big business as more companies and communities look to reduce and reuse. Refuse haulers across the country are going green and helping to boost recycling efforts. One of those haulers is the City of Lakeland, FL. They\u2019re working hard to promote how easy it can be to recycle, and to streamline their process for picking up those recyclables.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Getting the Children\u2019s Perspective <\/strong><\/p>\n The city of Lakeland implemented a single-stream recycling program late last year\u2014a change from its previous seven-sort recycling process\u2014and added six new McNeilus Manual\/Automated (M\/A) Side Loader refuse trucks to go with it. To get its refuse customers on board and to promote the new single-sort program, the city Solid Waste Manager Jeff Wood turned to the local schools. \u201cWe wanted to get the children\u2019s perspective on recycling,\u201d Wood said. \u201cThey\u2019re the future of this program. What does recycling mean to them?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Students in second through fifth grade from 11 area schools put their thoughts in color on paper for a poster contest depicting how they view recycling and Earth Day.\u00a0 Lakeland received 600 entries, which were judged by city staff and its refuse truck drivers. \u201cThis contest was received very positively by everybody, and the drivers had fun judging,\u201d Wood said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the simplest thing to judge. They tried to pick out what they perceived as the best. There were a lot of good entries.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Promoting Citywide Recycling<\/strong><\/p>\n Ultimately, one winner was chosen from each school, along with one grand prize winner. The winning students were recognized individually in separate ceremonies at their schools and presented with model refuse trucks donated by McNeilus. They were also recognized citywide during Lakeland\u2019s annual Green Celebration. The students\u2019 artwork was on display in truck-sized wraps adorning each side of the six McNeilus refuse trucks that run recycling pickup throughout the city. \u201cThe solid waste division of Lakeland has done a wonderful job.\u00a0 Not only are they promoting their recycling program, but they also involved the kids in the city,\u201d said McNeilus Regional Sales Manager Mark Liddell, who works out of McNeilus\u2019 Tampa, Florida, branch.\u00a0 \u201cNot only were the kids excited to see their artwork on the side of the McNeilus Manual\/Automated trucks, but their parents and grandparents were just as excited.\u00a0 The Green Celebration event brought the people of the community out to see the trucks. I believe this helps the community understand what is being done for them with their refuse removal.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Using the colorful truck wraps as a way to promote citywide recycling has truly created a buzz among residents in Lakeland\u2019s neighborhoods. Wood says Lakeland has doubled its tonnage in recyclables pickup since the single-stream carted recycling program started. \u201cNow that we have fully-automated trucks, the single stream is easier for drivers, and it\u2019s easier for participants. Instead of sorting recyclables into several different bins, they can just throw everything into one cart and it\u2019s done,\u201d Wood said. \u201cAnd when they\u2019re seeing the truck wraps, it keeps people thinking about recycling.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another asset to the new single-sort program, according to Wood, is that the McNeilus Manual\/Automated Side Loader is so well-suited for the city\u2019s recycling pickup. Wood said the low sill height of the hopper is an advantage because it allows the drivers to manually throw in the \u201cextras\u201d that can be left on the curb, along with other recyclable materials such as cardboard, which has been a target for the city. The truck\u2019s automated arm is also suited for several can sizes, so it can pick up a variety of refuse bins. \u201cThe M\/A was a good option for the City of Lakeland because they can pick up the 95-, 65- or 35-gallon containers with the arm on the side of the M\/A, but they are also able to hand feed,\u201d said Liddell. \u201cThe driver has to get out once in a while and throw materials into the truck. He has that option with this truck.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Expanding the Reach<\/strong><\/p>\n Drivers and customers, alike, are on board with the city\u2019s new single-stream recycling option. And the City of Lakeland is hoping it will continue to expand its residential recycling reach. For now, it will let its new McNeilus M\/A Side Loaders, and their artistic wrapping, do the talking about how easy recycling can be.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Kelli Sandhurst<\/em><\/strong> is a marketing representative for McNeilus Companies, Inc. McNeilus, an Oshkosh Corporation company, is a leading manufacturer of refuse truck bodies, concrete mixers and batch plants, with an extensive network of factory-owned service and support centers. <\/em>For more information, call (507) 374-6321 or (888) 686-7278.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" To get refuse customers on board and to promote the new single-sort program, the city of Lakeland turned to the local schools. 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