Sponsor Spotlight: Elkhart County Solid Waste
Interview by Allison Egan, enFocus Director of Civic Innovation
Tell me about your relationship with enFocus.
Elkhart County Solid Waste has worked with enFocus for several years now. We were introduced through the Elkhart County Commissioners, who were receiving numerous complaints about leaf burning and thought that enFocus might be able to help develop a creative solution. So, in 2018, we did a project focused on reducing leaf burning in our community, and developed a very well received leaf collection competition. After that, we worked with enFocus to create a recycling education program for our schools. More recently, in addition to keeping both of those programs running, we are working together on a recycling awareness campaign.
Now let’s talk a little about the collaboration process. What has it been like to work with enFocus?
After we decide upon a project topic, enFocus goes out into the community to understand what the community needs and how we can create a program that works for them. For the leaf burning project, they created a “Task Force” involving local experts, government officials, and residents. For the schools project, they talked with different teachers and administrators.
Based on that insight, they created the programs, tested them out, and over the years have adjusted the programs to make them even better. For the leaf burning project, we tested five programs, and the competition was by far the most well-received so that’s what we have kept doing. For the schools, we developed the “Green Schools Initiative” program where schools complete recycling related challenges to earn credits and prizes. When COVID-19 forced the schools to close their buildings, enFocus adjusted the challenges so schools/classrooms could complete them virtually.
How would you characterize the impact enFocus has created for Elkhart County and the community at large?
Thanks to enFocus and these new programs, we have interacted with community members we wouldn’t have otherwise. We have done the leaf competition for three years now, and have had 26 teams participate bringing in over 630 tons of leaves. The Green Schools Initiative has been running for four semesters, and have had 23 schools participate and earn over 200 credits. The community groups are always positive and glad to work with us, which you don’t always see in government.
What is the greatest value enFocus has delivered to you?
We don’t have many staff working in solid waste at Elkhart County, so it’s great that we can trust enFocus to run these programs and keep them up. The community is happy and we are happy!
How would you describe future opportunities for collaboration?
Though Elkhart County’s solid waste management district recently dissolved, we still plan to offer these programs to the community. We’ve also just started a project with enFocus for 2021, focused on implementing a recycling awareness campaign, expanding the schools program to other youth organizations, and keeping up the great work we have been doing.
Learn more about enFocus's work with regional organizations in our next Sponsor Spotlight.