National Partnership Launches Ambitious Portland Recycling Campaign

Recycle an extra four magazines monthly to eliminate them entirely from Portland landfill 


PORTLAND, Ore., April 20  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The City of Portland today joined a national recycling campaign designed by global business leaders Time Inc. and International Paper, along with the National Recycling Coalition.  Dubbed 'ReMix,' (Recycling Magazines is Excellent), the public-private partnership was created to increase curbside recycling of magazines and catalogs.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020701/IPLOGO )

"The ReMix campaign is a natural fit with City of Portland goals to reduce waste and increase citywide recycling rates," says Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman.  "Diverting more magazines and catalogs from landfills will provide significant environmental and economic benefits to our local community," he added.

Initially launched in the East Coast communities of Boston, Massachusetts and Prince George's County, Maryland, the ReMix effort helped increase magazine and catalog recycling by 17 percent and 11 percent in those locations, respectively.  The program has since been expanded to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin metro area.  Recognizing Portland's already successful recycling programs, the partnership is thrilled for the West Coast launch of the campaign.

"Community recycling programs sprang up across America thirty-six years ago on the first Earth Day, as a simple way for Americans to conserve our earth's precious natural resources" says Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition. "On this Earth Day, Portland citizens have a great opportunity to protect the planet even more -- by recycling their magazines and catalogs. If each Portland resident recycles four more magazines each month, they can eliminate magazines from the landfill."

ReMix partners joined Mayor Tom Potter and City Commissioners Saltzman and Erik Sten at the City's annual BEST (Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) to announce the campaign launch.  Industry leaders Time Inc. and International Paper emphasized the global impact businesses can have by incorporating profitable and environmentally innovative solutions to reducing waste.

"Today's leading companies recognize that integrating environmental issues holistically into operations, promotes a sustainable world." says David Refkin, director of sustainable development for Time Inc. "ReMix is one of several partnerships we have engaged in to find solutions to challenging issues recently highlighted in our Sustainability Report" he added.

International Paper's involvement in the ReMix campaign is a natural extension of the company's long-standing record of environmental stewardship.

"When our research showed only one out of six magazines sold gets recycled, IP was eager to launch this campaign," said David Struhs, vice president of environmental affairs at International Paper.  "Consumers need to better understand that catalogs and magazines can and should be recovered and turned into other products.  Half the paper consumed in the United States today is recovered for reuse.  By focusing on catalogs and magazines, we can do even better," he added.

Campaign explained

In addition to a variety of local communication and outreach messages, the ReMix campaign will utilize full-page, public service advertisements in a variety of popular magazines including TIME, Parenting and Sports Illustrated. These ads, featuring color imagery, include the Web site for Portland's Office of Sustainable Development.  The partners will monitor results by working with local recycling facilities to regularly sort and count magazines and catalogs coming through the curbside program.

  About the partners

  Time Inc.


Time Inc. is the world's leading magazine publisher, publishing over 150 titles that are read more than 300 million times worldwide.  Time Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., a leading media and entertainment company, whose businesses include interactive services, cable systems, filmed entertainment, television networks and publishing.

International Paper

International Paper is the world's largest paper and forest products company. Businesses include paper, packaging and forest products. As one of the largest private forest landowners in the world, the company manages its forests under the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (R) (SFI) program, a system that ensures the continual planting, growing and harvesting of trees while protecting wildlife, plants, soil, air and water quality. Headquartered in the United States, International Paper has operations in over 40 countries and sells its products in more than 120 nations.

National Recycling Coalition

Founded in 1978, the National Recycling Coalition, Inc. (NRC) is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization representing all the diverse interests committed to the common goal of maximizing recycling to achieve the benefits of resource conservation, solid waste reduction, environmental protection, energy conservation, and social and economic development. Its 4,000 members include recycling and environmental organizations; large and small businesses; federal, state and local governments; and individuals. The NRC is dedicated to the advancement and improvement of recycling, and also source reduction, composting and reuse, by providing technical information, education, training, outreach and advocacy services to its members in order to conserve resources and benefit the environment. For additional information about the NRC, please visit http://www.nrc-recycle.org/.

  City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development,
  A Better Future.  A Better Now.


The Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) brings together community partners to promote a healthy and prosperous future for Portland.  OSD advances improvements and innovation in energy use and technologies, waste disposal, recycling, sustainable purchasing, environmental education and high-performance, green building practices.  OSD programs, policies and partnerships are key to community health, economic and environmental opportunities for Portland, its businesses and residents.

http://www.sustainableportland.org/ 

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020701/IPLOGODATASOURCE: International Paper



CONTACT:  Kate Krebs, National Recycling Coalition, [phone]; or

Ali Zelenko, Time Inc., [phone]; or Kathi Rowzie, International Paper,

[phone]; or Stephanie Swanson, City of Portland Office of Sustainable

Development, [phone],  



Web site:  http://www.internationalpaper.com/

http://www.sustainableportland.org/

http://www.nrc-recycle.org/ 

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