Since its inception, the Curb It!℠ Revenue Sharing Program has provided its participating member communities the opportunity to reinvest a portion of the revenues generated by the Curb It! program back into their community. The amount available for each community is based on household participation in the Curb It! program and the amount of recyclables collected (in tons).
Eligible projects focus on one or more of the following project areas: Recycling/Waste Diversion, Yard Waste/Compost, Beautification, Conservation and Sustainability, and Litter/Illegal Dumping Prevention/Clean Up.
Over the years, nearly all of the member communities have taken part in the revenue sharing program and used their reimbursement money to fund such projects as planting trees, cleaning waterways, city signage and reinforcing creek banks. Here are a few examples:
Bondurant has been using their reimbursement money to fund the purchasing of a brush chipper. Since open burning has been banned in the city of Bondurant, they have implemented a yard waste program and now offer a monthly service to its residents. The chipper also provides a reduction in air emissions which were a side effect of the burning tree limbs and landscaping materials.
Johnston has used their revenue sharing funds for a variety of projects from reinvesting in their Curb It! program to bring costs down for its residents, to seeding and mulching the new 5-acre Adventure Ridge Park. The park also includes areas for environmental education.
West Des Moines has also used their revenue sharing funds for multiple projects over the years, including sponsorship of Building a Sustainable Iowa, a residential professional training workshop. They have also used funds to provide education to residents about the Curb It! program through ads in their WDM Magazine, a free publication that reaches every business and residence. West Des Moines has also funded beautification projects such as the removal of graffiti from parks and other public areas.
Curb It! Revenue Sharing is currently paying for the cost of new Curb It! carts across the metro area. This significant expenditure is funded through Curb It! revenues so that the cities and residents don’t incur the cost of purchasing these carts.
