Baltimore County Department of Public Works
Recycling PSA: Tangled Up!
Baltimore County's "Tangled Up!" recycling PSA has won two international awards.
Overview
The presence of “tanglers” (including plastic bags and textiles) in the recycling stream is a problem that affects material recovery facilities (MRFs) around the world, impeding operations and damaging equipment. Over the past year, the Baltimore County Department of Public Works' Bureau of Solid Waste Management has targeted its outreach efforts on reducing tanglers and other forms of contamination incorrectly placed out for recycling collection. By making these problematic items the primary focus of its annual marketing campaign, the Bureau was able to develop high-quality original content for public education that can be used by organizations across the globe, having a positive impact far beyond the County itself. This outreach content included, "Tangled Up," a humorous silent film-style public service ad (PSA) that was developed fully in-house by Baltimore County employees and made available free of charge to any interested group, such as government recycling offices and solid waste and recycling industry organizations. “Tangled Up!” demonstrates why items such as plastic bags and clothing, known in the recycling industry as “tanglers,” are not accepted by recycling programs across the country.
Released on America Recycles Day 2018, the PSA has won two international awards: a Silver Telly Award and the first place award in the public service ad category at the National Association of Government Communicators Blue Pen and Gold Screen Awards. The PSA was also the flagship outreach project for Baltimore County's marketing campaign that won the Maryland Recycling Network Outstanding Government Leadership Award. The video has been shared on social media, blogs and websites by more than 170 government, business, nonprofit and media organizations, and industry professionals on four continents. View a full list online.
Fun and Interesting Facts
Several tools and techniques were used in this video to emulate the look of a silent film, including filters (black and white coloring and a “dust and grain” effect), text cards with period-appropriate typeface and graphic choices, several fade transitions, and adjustments in film speed.
The PSA:
• Was produced in-house by 11 county employees (core crew of four) with low production cost: $2,247 for staff time, $61 for props.
• Was shown at SWANA New Jersey’s Spring Conference and the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania Buy Recycled Seminar.
• Played in three local movie theaters for six weeks, gaining 485,282 impressions at a cost of $0.04 per impression. National CineMedia made an exception to their 60-second runtime limit, agreeing to run our 90-second PSA because it was "so well done and a short 90 seconds."
• Has gained more than 100,000 impressions and 70,000 views (that can be counted) on county and employee Facebook, Twitter and YouTube profiles alone. *The total number of impressions and views are impossible to calculate because external organizations’ data is inaccessible.
• Has been provided as a free download to organizations worldwide with permission to use it as an educational tool to help reduce recycling contamination.
All the actors are Bureau of Solid Waste Management employees. The man who played the MRF worker was actually one of the men who cuts tanglers out of the equipment daily.
A bureau staff member bought the Steelers jersey used through Facebook Marketplace. Bureau staff is currently reusing the jersey as an example of a tangler in public school recycling presentations.
Credits
Directed by Jeanette Garcia Polasky
Original Concept by Rashida White
Written and Produced by Jeanette Garcia Polasky
Starring Anthony Robinson as the Recycling Facility Worker
With appearances by
• Kathleen Crouse as the Christmas lights wish-cycler
• Natalie Adachi as the dog leash wish-cycler
• Jahi Thomas as the frustrated Steelers fan
• and Richard Keller as the magician
Director of Photography – Jahi Thomas
Props and Wardrobe by Jeanette Garcia Polasky
Storyboard by Jahi Thomas
Graphics by Jeanette Garcia Polasky
Film Editor – Jahi Thomas
Associate Producer – Rashida White
Location Managers – John Jones and Willie Bruce
Production Coordinator – Anthony Robinson
Production Assistants – Jahi Thomas and Natalie Adachi
Creative Consultants – Rashida White, Jahi Thomas, Natalie Adachi and Anne Marshall
Music Supervisor – Jeanette Garcia Polasky
Music Composers – Scott Joplin and Kevin MacLeod
Special thanks to Richard Keller, Charlie Reighart, John Jones and Willie Bruce for creative and production support.
