Public Works Department Wins Another “Gold Excellence” Award for Waste Management Program.

For the second year in a row, the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department (parent of LessIsMore.org) has struck gold by winning a prestigious Gold Excellence Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). Last year the County took top honors for its overall Integrated Waste Management system. This year’s award is for Marketing, as embodied by the Green Waste Awareness campaign conducted in 2008 by the Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division (RRWMD).

SWANA’s national awards program recognizes excellence in solid waste management programs that promote positive social, environmental and economically sound principles. The winning effort creatively utilized an array oforiginal songs, educational mailers, Spanish language television spots and movie theater ads to reach its target audience.

The campaign imparted 3 important messages: How to Keep Green Waste Clean; How to Use the Mulch Created from the Green Waste Collection; and How the County Can Help You with Backyard Composting. Partners included the City of Goleta and local media resources, with great contributions from musicians Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan and RAVE & Associates graphic design.

“Even though our recycling programs are already highly successful, we are always trying to do better,” Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisor Salud Carbajal said. “This award is a tribute to our Public Works employees who found creative and fun ways to reach the public on an important part of our recycling system”.0

The RRWMD waste management system serves the cities of Buellton, Goleta, Santa Barbara and Solvang, in addition to the northern and southern unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County. The award winning campaign elements can be found at www.LessIsMore.org.

"The songs and the overall “Closing the Loop” theme really captured our approach,” said Scott McGolpin, Public Works Department Director. “We are collecting a locally generated product that used to go to the landfill and finding a second life for it as mulch that helps save water and replenish the land throughout the County.”