Chicago Park District recycles with dual-purpose recycle/trash cans

Chicago Park District recycles with dual-purpose recycle/trash cans

The more bottles and cans people recycle in a Dream Machine-sponsored Free Green Can in Chicago—and in Dream Machine bins and kiosks across the nation—the more support PepsiCo will provide to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a national program offering free experiential training in entrepreneurship and small-business management to post-9/11 U.S. veterans with disabilities.

According to Keep America Beautiful, only 12 percent of public spaces are equipped with recycling receptacles—indicating a clear need for greater public access to recycling bins. Through the broader, national Dream Machine program PepsiCo aims to create strategic partnerships, such as the sponsorship of Free Green Cans in Chicago, to help increase the U.S. beverage container recycling rate to 50 percent by 2018.

"We are thrilled to work with Free Green Can on this unique extension of the Dream Machine recycling program," says Jeremy Cage, svp of innovation and insights at PepsiCo and head of the Dream Machine recycling initiative. "By recycling a bottle or can in a Dream Machine-sponsored Free Green Can, residents and visitors of Chicago can help make a real difference for our planet and in the lives of disabled U.S. veterans."

"We believe that people fundamentally want to help the environment and that if recycling is made easy, people will make the right choices," says Steve Holland, president/CEO of Free Green Can. "We're happy to be in partnership with the PepsiCo Dream Machine and the Chicago Park District to deliver an exemplary patron experience for visitors of one of the country's premiere park districts. It is our hope that others will join us in our commitment to 'greening' Chicago."

"The Chicago Park District is committed to keeping more than 570 parks and 26 miles of lakefront green and healthy for all to enjoy throughout the year," says Mike Kelly, Chicago Park District interim superintendent/CEO. "We are excited to implement these new dual-purpose recycling trash bins in our parks, thanks in large part to this public-private partnership. This is a great example of how public-private partnerships work to innovatively fund Park District projects and initiatives."

To learn more about the Dream Machine recycling initiative, visit www.facebook.com/DreamMachine. To find a Dream Machine near you, visit www.dreammachinelocator.com. 

About the Dream Machine recycling initiative:
The Dream Machine recycling initiative, introduced on Earth Day 2010, will make thousands of new recycling kiosks and bins available in popular public venues such as gas stations, stadiums and public parks. Dream Machine kiosks are computerized receptacles that include a personal reward system that allows consumers to collect and redeem points for each bottle or can they recycle in the kiosk. The multi-year collaboration with Waste Management enables the local capture and recycling of PET and Aluminum, using both technology enabled and non-technology enabled recycling kiosks. The Dream Machines are provided by WM GreenOps LLC, a subsidiary of Waste Management, and operated by Greenopolis, the first interactive recycling system that brings together online and on-street technologies. People who recycle their beverage containers in kiosks can redeem points they collect and receive awards when they visit www.greenopolis.com.

About Free Green Can:
Free Green Can offers free, turn-key recycling programs to hosts (such as municipalities, venues and college campuses) by partnering with environmentally friendly companies looking to support local recycling efforts while also reaching consumers with sponsorship, advertising and/or public messages. Their dual-purpose recycle/trash can makes recycling easy by offering a convenient one-stop disposal option for both traditional trash and recycling materials. Recycling on the go has never been easier. For more information, visit www.freegreencan.com. 

Source: PepsiCo

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