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Efficient
Use of Natural Resources
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Featured Projects: ¡Viva Reciclaje! and the Zanjero Program
Description
In 1998 the Solid Waste Management Department received an Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) grant to launch ¡Viva Reciclaje! an innovative
education outreach program targeted towards Tucson's Hispanic community.
The goal is to raise awareness about waste reduction, reuse and recycling,
and increase participation in the city's recycling programs.
Tucson Water Department's Zanjero Program promotes conservation of our
most important natural resource: water. It is an innovative customer outreach
effort featuring trained conservation specialists that visit homes and
businesses that use a large amount of water. During these visits, the
specialists check fixtures, irrigation systems, and customer water use
habits. Customers receive individualized surveys that help them use water
more efficiently, identify problem areas, and provide guidelines to reduce
their water use. Some customers qualify to have low-flow fixtures and
other water-saving devices installed in their homes.
Key Features
¡Viva Reciclaje!:
- A bilingual education specialist attends events and neighborhood fiestas
sponsored by the Hispanic community, as well as educating school children
in the targeted neighborhoods about the benefits of Reduce, Reuse, and
Recycle.
- Staff walk the neighborhoods and talks with residents one-on-one to
discover why they are not recycling and try to engender a change in
behavior.
- Media outreach strategies spread and promote the message of ¡VIVA
RECICLAJE!.
Zanjero Program:
- Conservation specialists visit homes and business where large amounts
of water is used
- Specialists examine fixtures and habits in an effort to increase efficiency
- Water saving tips and water saving devices are provided
Partners
¡Viva Reciclaje!: Hispanic media, including television, radio and print,
Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association, Wards 1, 3, and 5 Council offices,
Citizen & Neighborhood Services
Zanjero: Pima Community College, University of Arizona, Citizen & Neighborhood
Services, Building Owners and Managers Association, Arizona Multi-Housing
Association, Mobile Home Park Community, Arizona Landscape Contractors
Association, and Southwest Gas
Impact
As a result of ¡VIVA! participation in curbside recycling has increased
by 7 percent and there has been a nearly 40 percent increase in tonnages
collected at our Neighborhood Recycling Centers in the target areas. ¡Viva
Reciclaje! was awarded the 1999 Urban Recycling Program of the Year by
the Southwest Public Recycling Association and is being used as a model
for Denver, Colorado.
As a result of the Zanjero Program, approximately 35 million gallons
of groundwater annually is saved. By conducting free water use audits
in homes and businesses, the Zanjero Program staff has not only focused
on conservation, but has saved water customers considerably on their water
bills.
For more information about ¡Viva Reciclaje!, contact Ernesto Velarde,
791-5543 x1119, evelard1@ci.tucson.az.us
For more information about Zanjero, contact Fernando Molina, 791-4556,
fmolina1@ci.tucson.az.us
Other Projects That Further This Goal:
- The Green Team
- Rillito and Santa Cruz Habitat Demonstration Projects
- Sustainable Energy Standard for City Facilities
Goal Indicator definition for this project.
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