Although we’re a little wary of the sentiment and orgs behind of America Recycles Day, the Streets Department celebrated recycling on Thursday with a few groundbreaking announcements.

Commissioner for Philadelphia Streets Department David Perri announced that Philadelphia broke recycling records. During the 2014 fiscal year, a grand total of 20.55% (128,000 tons) of city’s waste was diverted from landfills, collected from curbside recycling, city buildings & public spaces. That’s a 155% increase in recycling since 2008, right around when Mayor Nutter began his reign in office and created Greenworks.

As Perri said,

 “Our diversion rate shows that residents are onboard, they’re recycling at record levels and that now is the time to recycle smarter.”

The curbside recycling program includes over 525,000 households. Since 2008, the city’s increased recycling to weekly (Remember when it was every other week?! Brutal!), launched single-stream, added cardboard and all plastics to recycling bins, and implemented rewards with Recyclebank. Waste Watchers at the Philadelphia Marathon have recycled and composted 86% of waste from the 2013 Marathon.

Philly will continue to implement new recycling programs like Hunting Park Recycles, an effort to increase outreach targeting specific neighborhoods, new convenience centers (Strawberry Mansion) and city partnerships.

What do you think of Philadelphia’s recycling rates?

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher