Dallas Park and Recreation employees take recycling collected for the Buddy Bench Contest to the materials recovery facility. Photo credit: Frances McGee, City of Dallas
At NRPA, we believe parks and recreation is at the heart of every community. Environmental values translate into everyday practice, and local governments model responsible stewardship. Park and recreation agencies are trusted community spaces serving as living laboratories that provide the ideal venue for recycling education and for modeling responsible resource stewardship.
Reducing Plastics in Parks Training Series
Plastics are a major source of waste and litter in parks, impacting the ecosystem as well as safety and the visitor experience. To learn about how plastics have become such a pervasive and integral part of our lives, watch our latest video with waste management experts Shawn Norton and Cara Blumenthal here.
Looking to clean up your parks? Join our two-part Reducing Plastics in Parks training series to assess your agency’s current plastic use and impacts, learn about common challenges and explore practical, park-based solutions.
- Register here for the Reducing Plastics in Parks: Waste Assessment Training on Wednesday, February 4.
- Register here for the Reducing Plastics in Parks: Solutions Training on Thursday, February 26.
Show Your Park Some Love
In late 2025, NRPA launched the Show Your Park Some Love initiative, empowering local park and recreation agencies to inspire community engagement and promote recycling. Selected agencies are working with NRPA staff and national coalition partners to create a dynamic marketing plan and promote community recycling in parks.
The Show Your Park Some Love initiative is possible with the support of Niagara Cares, the charitable division of Niagara Bottling, as part of the larger Love Your Happy Place campaign. We also thank our other coalition partners, including DoSomething and Keep America Beautiful. Together, we are inspiring residents to take an impactful pledge: Recycle. Compost. Reduce Litter. Every Day.
