PRESS RELEASE - Public Works Offers $500 Prize for Winning Slogan - 2/27/19
Talking Smack About Illegal Dumping in San Francisco:
Public Works Offers $500 Prize for Winning Slogan
San Francisco, CA – San Francisco Public Works is offering a $500 prize to the person who comes up with the winning slogan for a new anti-illegal dumping public awareness campaign.
Public Works and the City’s private-sector refuse-hauling partner, Recology, have crews on the ground every day picking up illegal dumping at a cost of as much as $10 million a year.
“But at the end of the day, we need to change people’s behavior so they don’t dump on San Francisco in the first place,” said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “We’re looking for a slogan to use on billboards, social media, posters, bus placards and other platforms to get people’s attention. And we’re reaching out to the public for ideas.”
All entries will be considered, but those containing offensive language or anti-San Francisco snark definitely won’t make the cut.
Submit slogan ideas to contest@sfdpw.org by Friday, March 8, 2019, for consideration.
If one of the entries is selected, the winner will be awarded $500 and get the satisfaction of knowing that he or she will make a difference in helping San Francisco become a more attractive city. If multiple people submit the same winning slogan, Public Works will conduct a drawing to select one winner.
The illegal dumping culprits are varied – from residents and businesses who leave their everyday trash at the curb because they don’t have sufficient garbage service to contractors and hauling companies that dump truckloads of construction debris in industrial areas because they don’t want to pay for proper disposal at the dump. Then there are folks who put their broken lamps, old bookcases, worn mattresses and other unwanted household goods outside their doors.
The City and Recology respond to an average of 6,800 service requests for illegal dumping per month, in addition to operating proactive cleanup operations.
Beyond launching a public awareness campaign, City officials are exploring increasing the $1,000 illegal dumping fine and working with businesses in known illegal dumping hot spots to install surveillance cameras to deter dumping and help catch offenders in the act. Public Works staff sift routinely through illegal dumping to try to identify those responsible for the mess, and Recology has a private investigator working cases.
Meanwhile, please report illegal dumping to the City’s 311 customer service center.
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Press Releases
Start Date
February 27, 2019
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San Francisco Public Works is one of the largest and most complex municipal operations in the City, with a 1,600-member workforce and a $384 million annual operating budget. The department's active capital project portfolio exceeds $3 billion. As one of San Francisco oldest City departments, it is also one of the most forward-thinking. Keeping San Francisco beautiful, safe and sustainable.
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