Client Spotlight: Paul Varga and Frederick County, MD

Frederick County, MD has partnered with Recycle Coach for ten years. Comprised mostly of small towns and farmland, the county of Frederick is the largest in Maryland and home to approximately 270,000 people. Residents are eager to learn how to recycle right–and it shows. In just the last year, there’s been an 80% increase in reminders and interactions on the Recycle Coach app.

The Challenge:   

Frederick County has created an audience for their multifaceted recycling and solid waste program, and it’s a large undertaking for a small team. They have an engaged resident base that’s dedicated to recycling and learning proper waste disposal practices, but the County runs into many issues with the all-too-common problem of wish-cycling. The Solid Waste and Recycling team in part blames the way that recycling has been painted in a “rosy” light, making it seem like an easy, one-step process. Frederick County residents want to learn and participate, but it’s creating a bigger problem when individuals don’t participate correctly.  

Watch our full interview with Paul Varga, Communications Manager for Solid Waste and Recycling in Frederick County, MD, where we sat down to chat about their success with Recycle Coach.

“Everyone is a believer [in recycling], but everyone believes a different thing.” 
– Paul Varga

The Solution:  

As Paul explains, the Solid Waste and Recycling team at Frederick County’s efforts all come down to engagement, and not relying solely on outreach alone. They are getting the word out about the Recycle Coach platform and making changes. Incorporating the web app and using the words “Recycle Coach” often, they are getting residents accustomed to their branding and marketing. For every post they make on their social media, they do their best to direct people where to go. Rather than overloading their residents with messages, they send out reminders once per week and are sure to keep their messaging standardized.  

In the past year, there were 3.1 million interactions with reminders and notifications, up from 2.5 million the year before. Every month, there are nearly 150,000 interactions with Recycle Coach content. 20,000 of these account for activities and quizzes, and not only that, but there is an 81% correct response rate when asked about disposal rules. Frederick County has no plans to slow down, however. “There is always room for improvement,” says Paul. He explains that they strive to incorporate recycling information into their other communications as well and emphasizes that the important thing is to “remain transparent, be engaging, and always tell the truth.”

To learn more about our technology and how to work with us, please reach out to us here. (And if you missed it, make sure to check out our sit down with Cliff Walls from the City of East Lansing, MI!)