Ad campaign highlights greenness, dependability
By: Jim Johnson
July 06, 2009

As CEO of the National Solid Wastes Management Association, Bruce Parker figures a new educational campaign designed to promote the industry is one of the best things to ever happen to him while on the job.

“This is huge. This is probably the most satisfying thing that I’ve been involved in,” Parker said. “We finally have a real, professional, sophisticated, well-organized, well-directed educational campaign.”

Parker remembers when he first started at the trade group 28 years ago, talking to old-timers who said there was still a stigma attached to the business. Some talked about growing up on pig farms where trash was used as food. “We were really embarrassed. I think in 1980 that was pretty prevalent.”

“I’ve seen so much change,” Parker said.

Fast forward to 2009 and Thom Metzger, director of communications and public affairs for NSWMA, a trade group representing private solid waste management companies.

A major part of his job has been to conceptualize and launch the educational campaign that has Parker so enthused.

“They should be proud. They should absolutely stand up with pride and say, ‘I’m a garbage man,’” Metzger said. “You should be proud of the fact that you’re a garbage man.”

To help move the needle toward further acceptance of the business, the NSWMA is several months into a campaign officially dubbed “Environmentalists Every Day: The Solid Waste Management Industry.”

The effort — launched late last year — aims to impact opinions both within and outside of the business.

To help companies promote themselves, the campaign consists of a 62-page “Grassroots Communication Toolkit,” which helps companies reach out to their employees, elected officials, “opinion leaders” in communities and the media.

“Our philosophy now is, you say what’s true and criticism is good because at least it brings people into the dialogue and gives us a chance to see what people are saying about us. And it gives us a chance to answer,” Parker said.

“Criticism is good. We’re not doing anything wrong. We make mistakes. If people want to criticize us, for the most part, we can defend it,” he said.

Mary O’Brien, chief marketing officer for Advanced Disposal based in Jacksonville, Fla., has used some of the materials contained in the toolkit for her company.

“Everybody has a story about their garbage. When you start talking about it, they listen,” O’Brien said. “Garbage is simple. Everybody has it. Everybody can relate to it.”

The challenge, she said, is personalizing the message.

O’Brien said it’s important to separate the garbage from the garbage company. “The idea that people think we create this garbage. We don’t create this garbage. We’re actually collecting it and disposing it and processing it in an environmentally friendly manner,” she said.

Parker said Metzger deserves virtually all of the credit for creating the campaign, which was funded by donations from NSWMA member companies. He previously worked for the American Chemistry Council, where he had experience crafting a similar campaign for that industry.

One way for companies to reach out to their communities is through employees.

“If media relations is scary, they can start smaller, encouraging their staff to make positive statements about their company, the work that they do, while interacting with their neighbors,” Metzger said.

Parker recently gave a speech at Waste Expo in Atlanta about the impact of the industry. NSWMA envisions solid waste company employees making similar speeches all around the country to folks who are interested.

“To me the challenge of what we’re doing in implementing the campaign is you need a person to do it. You need the person to make that speech. You need the person to write the letter and identifying that person who has the skill set and passion,” O’Brien said.

While Metzger said “there’s a lot of enthusiasm” regarding the project, he also added, “We wish it was going faster. We’ve launched a campaign at a pretty bad time [economically]. A lot of people have travel bans, and the industry is doing more with less resources.”

But, he added, “We’re hopeful. We’re not selling a product. We’re selling an idea. If people walk away understanding America’s solid waste industry is doing the right thing, then we succeeded,” Metzger said.

“This industry is really maturing right now. It’s coming out from behind the fences. We’re proud and we feel good,” Parker said.

Contact Waste & Recycling News senior reporter Jim Johnson at 937-964-1289 or jpjohnson@crain.com