2014 A N N U A L REPORT a year of growth and change Formed in 2003, Curbside Value Partnership is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving the US curbside recycling system.
The power of partnership As a 501(c)(3) with a mission to provide stronger recycling systems nationwide, Curbside Value Partnership has had a notable 2014. In many ways this year can be summed up as the year of growth and change. In the first part of the year, CVP s Board of Directors and Recycling Partnership Funders took a leap of faith that a true public-private partnership for tactical, practical recycling solutions could finally work. They were spot on it s working very well. A few weeks ago I was having a conversation with a reporter who was studying recycling and couldn t quite figure out where CVP fit in. Her question was, Recycling is an industry, right? So why do we need a nonprofit in the mix? I explained that the system we call recycling is not one true industry, but instead a loosely connected but highly dependent network of businesses, governments, and nonprofits. While the goal of each sector is the same (more, better recycling), the motivation and approach is often very different. And that s where the difficulty lies. For CVP that difficulty is also the opportunity to make measurable change. Since becoming the Executive Director of CVP in February 2014, I ve not only heard from reporters, but I ve also heard from many representatives across that loosely connected, highly dependent network. Communities are eager to engage their recyclers, add new materials, improve their operations, and offer citizens better service. MRFs need stronger best management practices to share with their community partners. Companies that buy from MRFs need to see more supply in addition to cleaner bales and higher quality material. Brand companies need more recycled content feedstock and tangible progress toward their sustainability goals. Different motivations, same solutions and they want to know if Curbside Value Partnership has the right programs to help. With our strong board leadership and amazing staff and contractors, the answer is a resounding yes. Our organization has already shown that our staff excels at creating innovative cross-sector partnerships that tackle recycling challenges with urgency and efficiency. In the past year we more than doubled our budget by also doubling our funding partners with new representatives from a wide spectrum of businesses and organizations. In October, we welcomed 14 national thought leaders to our newly formed CVP Technical Council. Together with staff and contractor support, their expertise will help CVP build better tools, stronger approaches, and calculate much-needed data. CVP is committed to making sure our partnerships offer integrated approaches to implementing scalable programs that increase national recycling numbers for the long haul.
RecycleCurbside.org At its start, CVP was designed to get more cans into the bin. From there the organization grew to embrace a rising tide floats all boats mantra that all recyclable materials are in this together. Today we re working to build not just stronger city solutions, but solutions that strengthen the industry as a whole. We approach our work by identifying national barriers to strong recovery and then designing solutions to overcome those hurdles starting first at the local level. While our national focus attracts attention and demands expertise, it s our ability to provide technical assistance and outreach campaigns at the local level that makes the difference. We have different arrows in our quiver - the action-spurring grants of the Recycling Partnership with their 5:1 public match, the development of much needed industry data, sustaining tools of CVP s open source resources, an open line to any recycling official trying to connect with today s best management practices. When it comes to achieving national scale, a diversity of solutions to overcome barriers is a must. I used to chuckle when I d hear someone use the hackneyed business term boots on the ground. Now I hear that term applied to our work almost weekly and I take it with pride. In February we ll release the CARTs module, a web-based resource guide packed full of technical and educational resources designed to facilitate a community s adoption of cart-based collection. Carts mean increased access but they also mean an increased emphasis on ensuring that the stuff hiding under the cart lid is in fact good stuff. It s about quality not just quantity. We re ready to work long and hard on this. The recycling supply chain that starts with communities and ends with a new product depends on it. It s been quite a year thanks to the dedication and contributions of our board and the members of CVP s Recycling Partnership. We aren t just ready to do good work, we re doing it. The results of that work are already proving valuable to the members of the loosely connected, highly dependent network that need the support. It s an exciting time to be part of our industry and I encourage each of you to expect even more good things from Curbside Value Partnership. It s go time, Keefe Harrison Executive Director, Curbside Value Partnership
Letter from our Chairman Since 2003, Curbside Value Partnership has been committed to increasing recycling awareness and volume by working closely with community programs across the country. During those 11 years, many coalitions aimed at solving national recycling barriers formed and disbanded. We are proud of CVP s legacy and its steady success. In fact, participating communities see an average 22% lift in recycling tonnage. We ve made a lot of big changes in 2014. CVP hired Keefe Harrison as Executive Director, Karen Bandhauer as Project Director and Elizabeth Schussler as Communications Director. The new team worked hard to launch the Recycling Partnership and significantly grow the membership. We are thrilled to welcome a powerful and diverse group of new members and, as a founding member of CVP, the Can Manufacturers Institute couldn t be more excited about CVP s current direction and momentum. I encourage all companies and organizations with recycling and sustainability goals to join CVP. Our approaches deliver measurable improvements to the industry and every new member means faster change to support us all. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Megan Daum VP, Sustainability, Can Manufacturers Institute Chairman, CVP Board of Directors RECYCLING PARTNERSHIP INVESTORS ASSOCIATE MEMBER
2014 BY THE NUMBERS 9 16 NEW FUNDING PARTNERS MEMBER COMPANIES MORE & ORGANIZATIONS 2.5x FUNDING 4 NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERS Cleveland, OH Richmond, VA Columbia, SC Florence, AL Testing a national model in a geographic region: CVP/Recycling Partnership became a fully engaged collaborator in revitalizing these communities recycling programs by providing: Substantial grant funding Hands-on public official engagement & champion building Customizable recycling education campaign materials Extensive technical assistance Over 10 years, the additional material equates to impressive savings: 3WEBINARS 600 ATTENDEES 2000 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS 50 REQUESTS FOR COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE $12,600,000 Projected 10-year value of additional material recovered from CVP s efforts in Richmond, Florence, and Columbia 17 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS 280,500 CO 2 e Projected 10-year GHG savings from CVP s activities in Richmond, Florence, and Columbia 14 NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED THOUGHT LEADERS ADDED TO CVP S TECHNICAL COUNCIL NEW BRANDING and WEBSITE and DOWNLOADABLE TOOLS: RECYCLECURBSIDE.ORG
Loosely connected, highly dependent: CVP brings it all together 6 Aspects of Healthy Recovery RecycleCurbside.org CVP has studied and concluded that healthy recovery programs often have six distinct areas that are fully engaged. When designing longlasting solutions for recycling we start first by assessing any barriers to healthy recycling programs and build our task list to remove those obstacles. 1 Committed Communities Local recycling officials often wear many hats. That s why we work to help make their job easier through connecting 2000+ communities with best management practices through our newsletters, webinars, and web tools. February will see the launch of our first major web tool supporting the adoption of carts. For our selected partner communities, we leverage grants 5:1 and provide technical assistance to spur improvements that would otherwise not have been made. 2 Public-Private Partnerships In order to create a systems solution to our system-wide problem, we must engage all the sectors of the industry. Since 2003, CVP has leveraged public-private partnerships. The 2014 launch of the Recycling Partnership is the largest collaborative effort to date. 3 Educated Policy While CVP does not engage in promoting specific policy initiatives, we do work to ensure that policy makers understand the economic importance of recycling. They are an important audience for one of our targeted communication campaigns. 4 Robust MRF Processing The nation enjoys ample MRF processing capacity and the ability to grow that capacity if needed. But with the need for quantity of recyclables comes the need for better quality. We started work in this area in November by offering real solutions to industry needs available through a variety platforms, including webinars, newsletters and more, meeting our partners needs on their terms. This difficult problem must be thoughtfully and aggressively resolved, and CVP will focus on the topic in 2015. 5 Strong End Markets The demand for recycled feedstock outstrips supply. That s why many companies looking for more, better material are partnering with CVP. 6 Thoughtful Outreach CVP is well known for our excellent community recycling campaigns. We work to provide communities with tools to boost participation and reduce contamination. Boots on the Ground: Strategy. Action. Results.
CVP builds tools to address industry-wide barriers to recovery. We then work to apply those tools and resources across the country. Getting To Scale: Building the Systems Solution Recycling Partnership In 2015, we expect to partner with at least five communities providing our most in-depth level of action: Grants Seeding private dollars to unlock public investments Technical Assistance CVP staff time to help program coordinators adopt best management practices Champion Building Connecting with policy makers around the importance of recycling Communication Campaigns A full portfolio of campaign materials, including ads, posters, door hangers, mailer cards, magnets, and more Through our three areas of work, we offer different levels of engagement and a path to national scale. We connect cities with the solutions they need. Open Source Tools In 2015, we expect to reach 2000+ contacts with: Webinars Free sessions connecting recycling officials with national leaders Newsletters Tips and tidbits for recycling programs Best Management Tools Connecting with the leading approaches Peer Networks Building connections with other recycling officials Free Downloadable Tools Images and templates CVP City Work In 2015, we expect to partner with a dozen communities providing: Technical Assistance CVP staff time to help program coordinators adopt best management practices Champion Building Connecting with policy makers around the importance of recycling Communication Campaigns A full portfolio of campaign materials, including ads, posters, door hangers, mailer cards, magnets, and more RecycleCurbside.org
WE ARE ON A ROLL. FROM IDEA TO ACTION TO MOMENTUM Every dollar invested goes straight to work. Our funders and community partners have seen what a difference alignment can make. Our city programs spur results. Our bank of tools and resources multiply. Our work is your work, and it is on a roll. RECYCLECURBSIDE.ORG Formed in 2003, Curbside Value Partnership is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving the US curbside recycling system.