Mayor Bloomberg Launches "Recycle Everything" Ad Campaign

NEW YORK, July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the largest expansion of New York City's recycling program in 25 years, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today unveiled a multi-channel consumer public education campaign to drive awareness of recycling and motivate New Yorkers to 'Recycle Everything," the new tagline of the effort.

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"The 'Recycle Everything' ad campaign and the expansion of our organic food waste recycling program shows how far New York has come in managing the 11,000 tons of waste generated every day," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Together, these initiatives will help us double our recycling rate by 2017 and reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills and I want to thank Grey for their incredible designs for our public information campaign. These ambitious policies will save at least $60 million in taxpayer dollars and have a significant environmental impact, making them the type of investments we need to secure the City's future."

Created by Grey New York, the campaign was inspired by insights about the city itself.   New Yorkers do recycle everything - finding new uses for anything from clothing to storefronts, apartments, restaurants, fads, songs and more.  Demonstrating that cans, bottles and paper can have a second life as well, the campaign includes print, out-of-home, radio, digital, mobile and activation elements as well as the first new recycling decal in twenty years, informing consumers how to recycle, appearing on public bins, in apartments, homes and public buildings. The radio spot also taps into the instinct to re-invent through music and encourages New Yorkers to apply it to recycling.

The centerpiece of the effort is print/poster ads featuring striking pop art-like collages.  The ads feature examples of key recyclables such as newsprint, plastic bottles, food containers and aluminum cans, artfully covered with colorful logos of major marketers torn from the packaging.  Each ad carries a relevant headline like 'Give new life to old plastic"; the "Recycle Everything" tagline and NYC Recycles logo.

Major corporations joined forces with the City as partners in this new recycling effort, granting the use of their brand logos in advertising with a greater purpose.  The list includes: PepsiCo, Evian, Chobani, Goya Foods, Arizona Beverage Co., Energizer Holdings, Amy's Kitchen, Thai Union Group, Happy Family, Seventh Generation and media properties including the New York Post, New York Magazine, Time Out, Better Homes and Gardens, More, Fitness, Inc., El Diario and Paper magazine.

New Yorkers will be seeing the posters, beginning July 29^th, across a host of media: buses, subways, transit shelters, taxi tops, phone kiosks and even the Staten Island Ferry.  Print ads will appear in the Daily News, New York Post, El Diario, AM New York, Metro New York and all community newspapers.  Radio ads will be broadcast on local stations.

Claudia Strauss, CEO of Grey Activation and PR, said, "As corporate citizens of New York for close to 100 years, and committed to the cause, we could not be more proud to be the city's partner in this effort. Our message 'Recycle Everything' says it all and it's easier than ever to do."

NYC Recycles: Key Facts

• In April, Mayor Bloomberg announced the largest expansion of New York's recycling efforts in 25 years.
• The Mayor has set a goal of doubling the City's recycling rate to 30% by 2017, keeping 550,000 tons of trash out of landfills each year.
• The City's expanded program includes the recycling of plastics for the first time.  Rigid plastics to be recycled include : toys, hangers, shampoo and medicine bottles, coffee cups and food containers.
• The new plastics recycling program will keep 50,000 tons out of landfills every year, saving taxpayers $600,000.
• The City's state-of-the-art, solar-powered household recycling plant, opening later this year in Brooklyn, will help reduce New York's carbon footprint, create 100 new jobs and include an education center to teach children about recycling.
• The number of blue and green recycling bins in public spaces will rise to 1,000 by 2014.

About Grey

Grey New York is the flagship headquarters of the Grey advertising network of Grey Group.  Grey Group ranks among the largest global communications companies.  Its parent company is WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY).  Under the banner of "Grey Famously Effective Since 1917," the agency serves a blue-chip client roster of many of the world's best known companies:  Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, Darden Restaurants, Pfizer, Canon, 3M, NFL, Boehringer Ingelheim, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and T.J. Maxx.   (www.grey.com)

Contact: Owen Dougherty
212-546-2551
odougherty@grey.com

SOURCE Grey