HispanicBusiness

SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- (Marketwire) -- 03/11/13 -- The city of Phoenix could be known as the greenest city in the Southwest by 2020, as it undertakes an overhaul of its current solid waste management programs to increase efficiency, lower costs, boost convenience and motivate the public to take an active role in landfill diversion.

Arizona-based Earth911, Inc., an Infinity Resources Holdings Company (OTCQB: IRHC) will partner with Calif.-based Citizen Group, a branding and advertising agency, in the project that will track toward Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton's goal for the city of 40% landfill diversion by 2020, known as the 40 by 20 initiative.

With nearly 400,000 customers, the city's Public Works Department devised specific goals to focus solid waste management on efficiencies and sustainability solutions. Those goals include environmental stewardship that encompasses lowering the amount of waste sent to landfills, outreach to city residents, new green initiatives at city facilities, and inventive reuse of closed landfills for projects such as city parks. Other goals include revamping the way waste is handled by the city, including diversion of organic waste to composting, improving collection services, and reducing illegal dumping and mishandling of household hazardous waste.

"We're opening a new chapter for Earth911, Inc. with this partnership, which enables us to help major population centers to achieve aggressive goals like the Phoenix 40 by 20. With this initiative, Phoenix has an opportunity to lead comparable cities in innovative waste collection, management and consumer education practices," said Corey Lambrecht, Earth911, Inc. President and COO.

Under the agreement, Earth911, Inc. and Citizen Group will accomplish the outreach portions of the full 40 by 20 initiative by developing a plan for communication and public education. Together, the companies will evaluate the best practices of model cities to devise a solution that will help the city achieve its 40% landfill diversion goal by increasing residents' motivation, understanding and participation in recycling and proper disposal.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Earth911 and the city of Phoenix," said Robin Raj, founder & executive creative director of Citizen Group. "Our aim is to make the Phoenix region a national model for what's possible in terms of waste reduction and diversion. We'll do it by developing a campaign that uses a variety of modern communications -- from social media to mobile to local partnerships -- to get the message out and create engagement while tapping into a strong sense of mission and civic pride."

In addition to identify gaps in recycling availability and residents' knowledge of how to recycle, Earth911, Inc. will use its expertise in recycling data to define a strategy for best communicating about recycling to residents, including the use of mobile applications and the use of data about common consumer products.

"Our expertise in guiding companies toward true product stewardship for every consumer product combined with the city of Phoenix's initiative creates a new playing field. Now, recycling and conserving natural resources through product-based material recovery have a fighting chance by empowering citizens with actionable information about what they can do locally and at home," Lambrecht added.