PRESS RELEASE                                                         
For Immediate Release
July 1, 2009

Cecil County Public Works Solid Waste Division wins theOutstanding Small Government Leadership Award

            Elkton, MD – For the second year in a row, the Solid Waste Management Division of the Cecil County Department of Public Works has been named the winner of the Maryland Recycling Network's (MRN) Outstanding Small Government Leadership Award.  The announcement was made at MRN's annual awards ceremony held at the University of Maryland's College Park campus on June 25, 2009.

The Maryland Recycling Network (which was previously known as the Maryland Recyclers Coalition) Outstanding Small Government Leadership Award is intended to recognize Maryland municipalities and counties with populations under 150,000 people for excellence in waste reduction and recycling over the past year.  One winner is selected by the MRN Awards Committee annually.

According to the MRN's Awards Committee, Cecil County's Solid Waste Management Division was selected in recognition of its continued aggressive efforts to expand recycling and waste reduction in the County.  Those efforts include:

• Continued promotion of Single Stream Recycling.
• Expansion of the County's recycling program to include electronics, printer cartridges, textiles, batteries, fluorescent lamps, yard waste, motor oil, antifreeze, concrete, asphalt material, textiles, and vinyl siding.
• Implementation of twice-yearly Household Hazardous Waste Day (HHW Day) collection events.
• Initiation of the collection of unwanted, unneeded, or expired medications as part of HHW Day collection events.
• Initiation of a "Sharps Collection Program" at the Central Landfill for the safe disposal of needles and similar items generated by diabetics and others with similar health care needs.
• Continued expansion of Solid Waste Management Division's educational outreach efforts to inform citizens of the County's various waste reduction and recycling programs, with a particular emphasis on reaching school-age children.

Tanya Adams, Solid Waste Management Division Recycling Coordinator and newly-elected member of MRN's Board of Directors, accepted the award on behalf of the County.   "Solid Waste Management Division continues to do a fantastic job with the County's waste reduction and recycling programs and it's great to see them recognized by the Maryland Recycling Network for the second year in a row. Tanya Adams deserves particular credit for her tireless efforts as the County's Recycling Coordinator," said Scott Flanigan, County Director of Public Works.  "The County's residents deserve credit for their continued enthusiastic support of the recycling program as well," Flanigan concluded.  

The Maryland Recycling Network, headquartered in Laurel, Maryland, is a non-profit organization comprised of local and state agencies, private companies, and interested citizens with the mission to promote sustainable reduction, reuse, and recycling of materials otherwise destined for disposal and to promote the purchase of materials with recycled material content.  It seeks to accomplish this mission through education, policy development and promotion, technical assistance, and the development of markets for recycled materials. 

Direct questions regarding this press release to:Vicky Rinkerman, Executive Office Administrator
County Commissioners' Office
County Administration Building
200 Chesapeake Boulevard, Suite 2100
Elkton, MD 21921
(410) 996-8310
Fax (410) 996-1014
E-mail: vrinkerman@ccgov.org