Video: Georgia Resident Plans to Find New Planet Instead of Recycling

New statewide education campaign kicks off with unique approach spotlighting
non-recyclers

ATLANTA, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia non-recycler, Tommy Krenshaw reaches
star status this week as he and his reason for not recycling take center stage
in a new statewide education campaign. Those who know Tommy will not be
surprised that he is receiving notoriety. He proudly proclaims to all who will
listen that he will find a new planet when this one fills up with the
materials he and others like him refuse to recycle. He has also taken to
wearing his non-recycler status on his T-shirt, in case you missed his excuse.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/stateofgeorgia/38595/

Sound absurd? Well, mission accomplished. Tommy is just one of the unwitting
(albeit fictitious) characters of a new recycling awareness campaign created
by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The campaign shines a
spotlight on these, and other misperceptions to show what non-recyclers might
look like to their friends and families. By highlighting the absurdities
behind not recycling, the campaign responds on behalf of the rest of us with
"you gotta be kidding!" (Incidentally, the URL for the campaign is
www.YouGottaBekidding.org.)

"Every time someone bypasses a recycling bin or chooses to throw a can away,"
Randy Hartmann, the Director of the Office of Environmental Management of DCA
explains, "they're effectively saying, 'I don't recycle!' They're wearing
their apathy on their sleeve. What we're saying, is that these excuses won't
work anymore."

Joining Tommy are several others characters, all of whom have mistaken and
ridiculous reasons for not recycling. Maria Inez-Phillips is one such
non-recycler. She can't be bothered to sort through her trash and pull out the
recyclable items. After all, she gets way too many gossip magazines to have to
wade through them all.

More non-recyclers will be introduced by the state over the coming months. All
will be wearing "I don't recycle" on their T-shirts, an unusual move designed
to break through the media clutter by first entertaining, then creating a buzz
that will drive people to the campaign Web site where DCA has a better chance
of presenting the myriad reasons to recycle.

"The absurd nature of what these characters say contrasts sharply with the
many rational reasons to recycle," adds Hartmann. "Because, unlike what Tommy
may say, we can't just find somewhere else to live when we have used up our
natural resources. People interacting with the campaign will come away
thinking that, in light of these preposterous alternatives, recycling is a
pretty simple proposition."

The need for the campaign came from a Solid Waste Characterization Study which
revealed that approximately 40 percent of what Georgians throw away is
actually recyclable. These findings were amplified by a recent DCA survey
which showed that a whopping 45 percent of Georgians do not regularly recycle.

"'I'm dating my ex, does that count as recycling?' is certainly not the type
of slogan you'd expect to see in a state's marketing campaign," Hartmann says,
"and that's the point."

Through a media relations and marketing campaign kicking off today, DCA will
drive Georgia residents to the campaign Web site where the real facts about
recycling will be presented in a way that resonates and drives real action.
The campaign will target all non-recyclers, but with a special focus on the
25- to 34-year-old group. Research revealed that this group is the least
likely to recycle, but also tend to be the easiest to motivate. Local
communities will also take part in the campaign, bringing the characters to
life through billboards, in a radio PSA, on coasters in restaurants and in
many other ways.

See more of the campaign at www.YouGottaBeKidding.org. And don't be surprised
if you see a life-size Tommy popping up conspicuously in towns and cities
across Georgia as just one of many ways these characters will be revealing
themselves!

About the Campaign: The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Office
of Environmental Management has created a statewide awareness campaign to
boost recycling in the state and keep valuable recyclable materials out of the
landfills and in Georgia's local mills and factories. The campaign is designed
to raise awareness about the convenience and benefits of recycling, while also
motivating behavior change among our target audience, 25- to 34-year-olds.

About DCA: The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) was created in
1977 to serve as an advocate for local governments. As outlined in its mission
statement, DCA seeks opportunities that support "partnering with communities
to help create a climate of success for Georgia's families and businesses."
DCA operates a host of state and federal grant programs; serves as the state's
lead agency in housing finance and development; promulgates building codes to
be adopted by local governments; provides comprehensive planning, technical
and research assistance to local governments; and serves as the lead agency
for the state's solid waste reduction efforts.

SOURCE Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA)

Laura Mulhern, Hill & Knowlton, +1-813-775-6209,
laura.mulhern@hillandknowlton.com