Date:

June 13, 2006

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831

Gene Hanlon, Recycling Coordinator, 441-7043

Mayor Coleen J. Seng today presented awards to the top participants in “Clean Your Files Week.” The week of April 17, more than 37,000 pounds of paper were recycled by the 23 offices and schools that participated in the local event, which encourages recycling to support Earth Day.

“There are three things that make this program valuable and worthwhile: the high value of office and copier paper collected, the environmental benefits resulting from recycling the paper and the savings to our landfill,” said Mayor Seng. “I recycle at work and at home, and I encourage everyone to recycle year-round.”

City Recycling Coordinator Gene Hanlon said the amount of paper recycled locally this year represents an environmental savings of 300 trees and 55 cubic yards of landfill space. Hanlon said over the past seven years, the program has become an established activity at many businesses and schools throughout the community. Lincoln has recycled close to 275,000 pounds of paper since the event began.

For the third year in a row, Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation collected the largest amount of paper of any organization participating in the event. Ameritas collected about 14,476 pounds of paper. Awards also were presented to:

• Hartley Elementary in the schools category. Students there collected 550 pounds of paper or about 2.1 pounds of paper per student.
• The League Association of Risk Managers in the private business category. The group collected 500 pounds of paper or 125 pounds of paper per employee.
• The County Public Defender’s Office in the local government category. Employees there collected 1,250 pounds of paper or 39.1 pounds of paper per employee.

“Clean Your Files Week” is organized by Recycling at Work, a campaign of the National Office Paper Recycling Project, a public-private partnership managed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, with the help of “Clean Your Files” national sponsors. Local sponsors include the City of Lincoln, Midland Recycling, the Lincoln Public Schools and WasteCap of Nebraska.