Contact: George Pinkerton (402) 441-0020, (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Contact: Todd Ogden (402) 434-6906, (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Friday, January 9, 2009

Downtown Lincoln Association “Keeps It Green” By Installing Recycling Containers Downtown

Lincoln, NE – The Downtown Lincoln Association (DLA) is pleased to announce the installation of new recycling containers in downtown Lincoln. The first of fifty containers will be installed on Friday, January 9th at 11:00 a.m. outside the Sharp Building on 13th and “N” streets, where the public and media are welcome to attend.
The dark blue recycling containers will be located throughout the downtown area, labeled with a universal recycling symbol and DLA’s website, http://www.downtownlincoln.org, to visit for more information. The recycling containers have a dark blue exterior to blend in with the downtown landscape and differentiate from the existing green and black refuse containers. The new containers have a small circular opening which will take plastic bottles or aluminum cans. The DLA Maintenance crew, with the help of the Community Alternatives of Nebraska, will pick up, sort and distribute the materials to a recycling vendor.

The recycling containers were developed by SourceOne, a local custom manufacturing company, which has served its industrial client base for over 35 years. “This is a high-quality, locally made product that will serve the communities recycling needs for years to come,” said George Pinkerton, DLA maintenance director.
The installations of the recycling containers are the second phase of DLA’s “Keep It Green” campaign, which focuses on practices to keep the downtown environment beautiful and sustainable. In the fall of 2008, DLA launched the campaign with the announcement of a DLA re-landscaping project, which installed over 4,000 native plants and 3,800 spring bulbs of 26 different varieties in the fall. Covering nearly 21,000 square feet downtown, the planting beds have saved water and expense due to their sustainable nature.

To help provide funds used for the recycling containers, DLA was awarded a grant in the amount of $43,366.00 from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s Waste Reduction & Recycling Incentive Grants Program. Altogether, the state received 62 eligible grant applications with requests totaling $3,199,120.00 for integrated solid waste management facilities projects. $2,884,958.00 was awarded for 60 projects throughout Nebraska.
“We are confident that the Lincoln community will participate in the downtown recycling process, reinforcing the city of Lincoln and DLA’s commitment to keeping the downtown area clean, green and attractive,” stated Terry Uland, President of DLA.

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