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City of Buffalo Press Releases

Posted on: September 17, 2018

Mayor Brown Announces Winners of Lets Do This! Community Recycling Competition

BUFFALO – Mayor Byron W. Brown announced today that 18th Street Come-N-Unity Block Club was the top winner of the City of Buffalo’s Let’s DO This! Block Club Recycling Competition for 2018. The 18th Street Come-N-Unity Block Club increased community participation in curbside recycling by 133%! Second place went to the Montrose Block Club. As winners of the competition, these Block Clubs will receive a Community Shredding Event and/or a concrete planter. Winners were announced at the Apollo Media Center.

“I encourage city residents to participate in all the varied recycling opportunities available in the City of Buffalo,” said Mayor Brown. “I am pleased that City of Buffalo Block Clubs embraced the challenge for the second consecutive year, and took part in my friendly and fun Let’s DO This! Recycling Competition. Recycling is good for the environment and the economy, and everyone wins when we recycle more!”

Let’s DO This! Block Club Recycling Competition was launched in 2017 to incentivize residents to participate in curbside recycling and help bring the City to its goal of 34% recycling. Under Mayor Brown’s leadership, the City has introduced many programs designed to increase recycling, including single-stream green tote recycling, electronic waste recycling, expanded curbside yard waste pickup and drop off center, the Western New York Coalition for Donated Goods and the 34andMore Buffalo Recycles promotional event. As a result of these initiatives and others, overall recycling rates have increased from 15.9% in 2012 to 28.36 %in 2017.

Nearly 6,400 households, representing over 70 Block Clubs citywide, have answered the call and participated in the Let’s DO This! Block Club Recycling Competition over the last two years. As part of this year’s month-long recycling competition, all participating Block Clubs received $100 worth of beautification items, including tools and bulbs, to be used in their neighborhoods. Over 1,800 households in 25 Block Clubs participated in the friendly and fun competition.

Participating Block Clubs included:

• 18th Street Come-N-Unity Block Club

• Academy/St. Mary’s Block Club

• Arden/Newburgh Block Club

• Bird-Herkimer Block Club

• Blaine Avenue Block Club #1

• Columbus Avenue Block Club

• Cottage District Safety Committee

• Courtland Avenue United Block Club

• Essex Street Neighborhood Association

• F&K French Street Block Club

• Fargo Estate Neighborhood Association