Stories

  • Stories

  • Challenge

    Help the US Composting Council (USCC) ensure a climate change bill would correctly address the problem of methane emissions from landfills—and provide incentives that would help expand the nascent organics recycling industry


    Solution

    Grassroots mobilization, media coverage and outreach to key Senate offices to raise awareness of the problem, and of the solutions provided by the organics recycling industry


    Results

    USCC members from key states sent letters to their senators, urging them to support the legislative change

    An online petition by USCC generated signatures from multiple states, demonstrating nationwide support

    A front-page story in the the Philadelphia Inquirer covered a new composting plant, demonstrating the job-creating potential of the industry

    Senate committee passed a bill with favorable language

     

Helping Improve Climate Change Legislation

When Congress began considering climate change legislation, the US Composting Council, the only national organization committed to the advancement of the composting industry, sought to ensure that the legislation addressed the problem of methane gas emissions from landfills. Composting organic material keeps it out of the landfills, reducing the amount of harmful greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.

When the House passed its version of the climate change bill, certain provisions would have inadvertently harmed the composting industry and actually made the problem worse. Most Members of Congress and Congressional staff didn’t understand organics recycling and its role in addressing climate change.

To ensure the Senate bill addressed the issue correctly, our team first developed a message emphasizing the benefits of USCC's proposal in terms that would resonate with senators and staffers seeking ways to fight global warming: “Carbon Offsets for Organic Waste Recycling Will Reduce a Major Source of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.”

We then mobilized USCC members who owned organics recycling facilities in strategically selected states to write and call their senators. We also wanted to engage USCC members outside of those states, so we launched an online petition, which gained 350 signatures from across the country.

As the letters and petitions started to roll in, we reached out directly to key House and Senate committee staff. Working with the government relations team at ML Strategies, we were able to get precious time in front of several important players in the climate change debate. Meanwhile, outreach to influential environmental groups secured their agreement not to oppose USCC’s position.

To help raise the visibility of the nascent industry, we placed a front-page article in the Philadelphia Inquirer that highlighted the opening of a new composting facility. The story showed how the industry creates jobs in the community while disposing of organic waste in an environmentally responsible way.

The committee-passed version of the Senate bill addressed USCC’s goals. The damaging House language was removed, and carbon offsets for organics recycling and other methane-avoidance projects were included in the legislation.

Services

  • Branding and message development
  • Government relations
  • Media relations
  • Grassroots organizing

 

“Our board was pleased with the reception we received on the Hill. It's incredible how much we were able to accomplish in such a short period of time.” – Andrew Kessler, USCC Board of Directors

“In only a few months, USCC raised awareness of their issue and their industry on Capitol Hill, while successfully influencing a piece of landmark legislation—no easy task.” – RJ Bee, Hattaway Communications