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Sustainability staff report growth in outreach attendance, recycling contamination down; schools program expands
Summary
City staff reported a roughly 30% increase in education and outreach attendance (13,950 attendees), highlighted recycling contamination improvements (record low ~8% last year), and said the Sustainable Schools program grew to 11 Denton ISD schools and one private school for 2025–26.
City sustainability staff summarized outreach and education work for fiscal year 2024–25, reporting a nearly 30% increase in attendance across activities, recognition by state and national programs, and expansion of the Sustainable Schools program.
Karen Berner, sustainability engagement specialist, said total event attendance across education and outreach events was 13,950 — up from 10,748 the year before — driven largely by tabling and university collaborations. "Our total event attendance across all our education outreach events is 13,950," she said. Berner outlined social‑media uses (educational posts, promotion of a free fan giveaway to reduce summer energy costs and air‑quality explanation posts) and noted awards including a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recognition and a Star award, as well as the Bird City Texas designation in 2025.
Gloria Garcia, engagement coordinator for residential and multifamily recycling, described contamination‑reduction efforts, facility tours and targeted advertising with QR tracking to better focus outreach; she reported a multi‑year trend toward lower contamination and cited a recent low of about 8% contamination in the latest fiscal year. Heather Whitlocker, school engagement coordinator, said Sustainable Schools enrolled nine schools in 2024–25 and 11 Denton ISD schools plus one private school for the 2025–26 year and described recycling audits, STEM kit checkouts and other school activities.
Committee members urged deeper collaboration with Texas Woman's University and more in‑person school outreach; staff said they will continue to spread classes throughout Denton to improve accessibility. Members asked staff to confirm program scaling options and to return with updates on outreach efforts and school engagement.
