SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Oct. 29, 1991, Earth911 was founded by a man with a vision of creating a more sustainable world, right in his backyard.
Originally starting off as a toll-free motor oil recycling information hotline for the Phoenix area, 1-800-CLEANUP(R) quickly grew as more states realized the environmental and financial savings the hotline offered. However, limiting Earth911’s services to motor oil recycling proved to not be enough in the fight against waste. With an overall recycling rate of 18.9% [1] in 1991, the country had room for improvement.
Twenty years later, Earth911, Inc. has become the leading provider of recycling information across the U.S., hosting a recycling directory that boasts more than 1 million ways to recycle 300 materials. The U.S. has also improved its overall recycling rate almost 15 percent, at a rate of 33.8[2] percent in 2009.
“The increase in availability of curbside and drop-off programs, as well as innovations in what we can actually recycle has played a key role in seeing recycling expand,” said Earth911 CEO Barry Monheit. “But many of these programs go underutilized, often due to lack of awareness or perceived inconvenience. We know that the more people utilize Earth911, the more they’ll learn about and take advantage of their local programs.”
Moving from a hotline, to a website, to smartphone apps that have been downloaded more than 250,000 times, the Earth911 Recycling Directory is used for free by millions of people every year to reduce their environmental impact. Earth911 now has a clear picture of what people want to recycle, where, and moreover, where holes exist in this relationship.
“Moving forward, we’re looking to educate waste haulers, retailers, product manufacturers - anyone involved in a product’s lifecycle - to help them make better choices about choosing sustainable materials and having an end-of-life solution for our country’s waste,” Monheit added.
“We owe our growth and success to a multitude of partnerships - from municipalities and state governments, the EPA, and our business and industry partners. Your investment in creating a world without waste has made all the difference in making recycling a mainstream movement.”
Looking back, the message is clear: Recycling has changed, expanded and grown in the past two decades, but there is yet work to be done. Join Earth911 to help increase recycling rates across the U.S. and see an even more expansive next 20 years.
References:
1. U.S. EPA. “Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste In The United States: 1995 Update.” http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw95.pdf
2. U.S. EPA. “Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2009.” http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw2009-fs.pdf
About Earth911, Inc.
Earth911 gathers, distributes and analyzes localized recycling information to assist manufacturers, organizations and consumers with product end-of-life solutions. Since 1991, Earth911’s services have enhanced companies’ responsible waste initiatives and worked to increase consumer recycling. Through the Earth911 Recycling Directory, Earth911 hosts the largest and most accurate compilation of recycling information in the nation, boasting more 1 million ways to recycle. Follow @Earth911 on Twitter and Like Earth911 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/earth911.