Following Up: Partner Spotlight with Paul Varga and Frederick County, MD

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In 2024, we sat down with Paul Varga, Communications Manager at the Solid Waste and Recycling Department in Frederick County, MD, to talk about how they were implementing Recycle Coach. Now, nearly two years later, their results are still going strong:  

• 1.3 million reminders and notifications sent in the last year  

• Over 15,000 material searches

• 78% average correct response rate  

• Web and mobile app usage is up 4.8% and 13.% respectively  

Maintaining the Course

“We’re at this point where it’s a lot about maintaining. So you can get people to download the app, but then you have to keep them talking about it, and you have to keep them using it,” Paul explains. This effort is twofold. It takes:  

1. Reinforcement and ensuring their department is walking residents through using the service, and  

2. Making sure the whole department not only knows about Recycle Coach, but also how it works and how to use it.  

Paul explains that it’s important for their education efforts to stay healthy at any size, and that involves cultivating a working ecosystem with their team.  

What’s Next for Frederick County  

Looking ahead, Frederick County is leveraging community billboards to launch a scavenger hunt, aimed at increasing collection rates and recycling knowledge in areas with lower rates. Residents will download the app, locate the billboards, then submit the tag numbers using the app; once they get all five, they’ll win a prize. The scavenger hunt is designed to encourage engagement and keep the app top of mind for residents.  

Paul ensures that his whole team knows how to use Recycle Coach in order to answer any questions that may pop up. He maintains that the best thing to do when marketing to residents is to abide by this rule: make sure everyone, no matter their background, understands the message and tools you have. “People are your best reinforcement and your best resource,” Paul says. “You need to have an ecosystem work.”  

Frederick County’s continued performance proves how their efforts and the tools they’ve put in place are working over the long term.