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City of Port Isabel Receives Grant to Support Recycling Efforts
in Port Isabel
Coca-Cola and Keep America Beautiful Support 70 Community
Recycling Programs through Bin Grant Programs
Port Isabel, Texas (April 28, 2011) Recycling programs in 70 towns and cities throughout the country received a significant boost to their local recycling efforts when Keep America Beautiful and The Coca-Cola Company announced the recipients of the spring 2011 Recycling Bin Grant program. Chosen from over nearly 800 applications submitted, the 70 grant recipients represent a cross-section of community groups, local governments, colleges and nonprofit organizations across the country. Grant recipients receive recycling bins from a pre-set list of options.
Grants were awarded for a diverse range of settings from 31 states, including nine colleges and universities, 25 municipalities and other local government entities, 10 K-12 schools, 26 nonprofit organizations, additional community groups and Native American tribes. Recipients were chosen by KAB based on a number of criteria, including where bins are likely to have the most impact on recovering beverage containers from the waste stream, ability of recipients to sustain their program in the future, and intention to support collection programs with recycling education and promotion. The Bin Grant is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and is designed to promote and support community recycling in the U.S.
In November of 2009, in conjunction with the Point Isabel Independent School District and the Valley Proud Environmental Council, the City of Port Isabel opened the first recycling center in the Laguna Madre area. With the environment foremost in mind, recycling was seen as a necessity. At that time, a residential program was instituted. Recently the project was expanded to include public recycling.
As a recipient of the Coca Cola / Keep America Beautiful Bin Grant Program, Port Isabel will receive twelve permanent recycle bins in early summer. Eight bins will be placed in the Lighthouse Square Merchants’ District and at the Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site. This area includes the Lighthouse and museums, the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage which houses the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, and the picnic area. Four other bins will be placed at nearby bus stops and City Hall. Surrounded by restaurants and shops, this is a major tourist area, and the goal is to target this user group.
“The City supports “Green” programs which protect the environment. It is important to encourage tourists to recycle, and to understand our need to protect the important ecosystem in the Laguna Madre area,” said Edward Meza, City Manager.
“The entire recycling process begins when a consumer chooses to put their empty beverage container in a recycle bin instead of the trash,” said John Burgess, president of Coca-Cola Recycling LLC. “Through our work with Keep America Beautiful to provide bins to community-based organizations, we can help raise recycling rates by making recycling more accessible to more consumers.”
The Bin Grant Program provides recycling bins directly to recipients and leverages the purchasing power and recycling expertise of KAB. Since its inception in the fall of 2007, the Bin Grant program has placed nearly 20,000 recycling bins in 380 communities in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Further information about the grant program and a full list of Spring 2011 Bin Grant recipients is available at http://bingrant.org/.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world?s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About Coca-Cola Recycling LLC
Coca-Cola Recycling LLC, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Refreshments, is dedicated to recovering and recycling packaging materials used in North America including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, aluminum, cardboard and plastic film. Coca-Cola Recycling is working to recover and recycle the equivalent of 100 percent of the packaging produced by the Coca-Cola system in North America. For more information, please visit www.cokerecycling.com.
About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of more than 1,200 affiliates and participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. For additional information, visit www.kab.org.
About Port Isabel, Texas
The City of Port Isabel is located at the Southern-most tip of Texas in an area called the Laguna Madre. Once a seaport, then a fishing and shrimpers’ village, Port Isabel is now a family-oriented eco-tourism destination, encouraging “green” and sustainable development. The City prides itself on its rich history, and focuses on historic preservation, renovation, and remembrance of its heritage.
