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If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year. More Tips

What CAN you do?

We use over 80 billion aluminum pop cans every year; 36 billion of those cans end up in landfills. More Tips

It's a heavy situation.

In 1960 the average person threw away 2.5 lbs. of trash every day. Today Tucsonans throw away nearly 4 lbs. per person each day. More Tips

RISE Recycling

In July of 1996, Tucson's Mayor and Council received a letter from the Citizen Participation Advisory Committee (CPAC) noting the lack of a comprehensive public policy to address the problems of large groups of homeless and transient populations in the downtown area. In response, a 17-member Homeless Task Force was created. The Task Force recommended, among many other things, that Mayor and Council issue a Request for Proposals to provide management services at the Toole Avenue "soup kitchen" for a six-month period.

A six-month, $13,000 management services contract was awarded to COPE Behavioral Services (now known as COPE Community Services) representing a partnership of community agencies. Services for this contract began on July 1, 1998, and COPE has since been continuously involved with RISE in economic development services. Currently, RISE is a subsidiary corporation of COPE Community Services. In 2007 Pima Computer Recycling (PCR) merged with RISE.

COPE Community Services, Inc., incorporated in 1974, is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) managed behavioral health and community service corporation governed by a 15-member community-based board of directors. COPE is one of three "at-risk" behavioral health plans serving the Medicaid and indigent populations in Tucson and Pima County. Funded principally through the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA), COPE serves over 5,000 clients annually. Approximately 95% of COPE clients live below the Federal Poverty Level. As a network provider of behavioral health services, COPE provides a comprehensive continuum of mental health and substance abuse treatment services.

RISE was incorporated in 1998 as a community based development organization (CBDO), a special type of nonprofit corporation with a "community development" mission, a defined geographic service area, and special requirements for its board of directors. Generous support from the City of Tucson has enabled RISE to provide employment opportunities to low income adults, the homeless, and other disadvantaged Tucsonans. In 2007 RISE employed more than 25 individuals, created four new full time jobs, provided job training to more than 250 individuals, and assisted 40 individuals in obtaining affordable housing.