BUFFALO – Mayor Byron W. Brown announced today that the Oxford Square Block Club was the top winner of the City of Buffalo’s Let’s DO This! Block Club Recycling Competition for 2019. The Oxford Square Block Club increased community participation in curbside recycling by 69.84%! Second place went to the Lafayette Ave Block Club. As winners of the competition, these Block Clubs will receive a Community Shredding Event and/or a Street Planter. Winners were announced at the Apollo Media Center.
“As we continue to build an equitable and inclusive City of Opportunity, healthy communities and a healthy environment are critical to the health and wellness of every person,” said Mayor Brown. “Building on my Administration’s goals for a greener, more sustainable city, I congratulate City of Buffalo Block Clubs for embracing the 2019 ‘Let’s Do This! Recycling Challenge’ for the third consecutive year. This friendly neighborhood competition is a wonderful way for us to raise awareness about recycling and recycling opportunities in the City of Buffalo.”
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, residential food scraps recycling program, the Western New York Coalition for Donated Goods, the Community Dare to Repair Café events, and the 34andMore Buffalo Recycles promotional events. As a result of these initiatives and others, overall recycling rates have increased from 15.9% in 2012 to 29.30% in 2018.
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 3,200 households in 34 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 Alliance Stockbridge #2
Bickford Edith Alice Block Club
Bird-Herkimer Block Club
Blaine Avenue Block Club #1 Cottage District Safety Committee
Courtland Avenue United Block Club
East Lovejoy Coalition (ELCON)
F&K French Street Block Club Fargo Estate Neighborhood Association
Fordham Drive Block Club
H.E.A.P. Alliance
Hamlin/Lonsdale Block Blub Hodge Avenue Homeowners Association
Indian Orchard Block Club
Judges Row Block Club
Kleinhans Community Association
Lafayette Avenue Block Club
Linwood Preservation District and Friends Loepere-Madania Community Block Club
Merrimac Street Block Club
Mid Sterling Block Club
Neighborhood Voice Community Assn.
Northland Avenue CUSION Block Club
Oxford Square Block Club
Reed St & 11 Streets Block Club
Roebling Avenue Block Club
Seneca-Babcock Community Block Club
Shiloh Resident Council Shoreham Parkway Block Club
St. James Place Block Club
Vermont Triangle Block Club
Willowlawn Block Club