September 8, 2006 Contact: Sue Baker
For Immediate Release 738-2000, ext. 6205
WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian announced that the city is once again the state’s recycling leader, earning a check for $103,562.37 from the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) yesterday for its efforts.
The corporation distributes funds annually to those municipalities that participate in the maximum recycling program. Warwick’s portion of the proceeds from FY06 was the largest amount given to any community in the state.
According to information from the RIRRC, in FY06, the city recycled 11,249.39 tons of product that would otherwise have been sent to the state landfill.
The City of Warwick began recycling in 1987 and from its inception has been a leader to other communities in the state. In 1995, Warwick was at the forefront in Rhode Island, adding all paper products and cardboard to the list of accepted recyclables before it was mandated.
This spring, the city implemented the final phase of its automated trash and recycling program, which has made for more efficient trash pickup and has reduced the number of workers’ compensation claims to zero. It’s also led to an increase in recycling – for example, from July through December 2005, the city saw an increase of 275 tons being recycled, and 264 tons less garbage being sent to the landfill.