MOLINE -- Three residents, a corporation and Mayor Don Welvaert were honored Tuesday by the Keep Moline Beautiful Commission, with a Recycle Super Hero award.

Mayor Welvaert, who is not seeking re-election, was surprised by the award presented before the city council meeting.

According to the commission, the mayor was deserving for his advocacy during two terms in office, which led to Moline receiving the Governor's Sustainability Award last week.

The commission said that in 2007 Mayor Welvaert began the process to establish curbside recycling in Moline, and assembled a group of local educators passionate about recycling who became the Blue Can Group.

"Together, they worked diligently to educate the community about the upcoming service and on March 31, 2008, curbside recycling began in the city," the commission stated in a news release.

In the past four years, 17 million pounds of plastics, glass and paper have been recycled through Moline's curbside program.

In October 2008, the Keep Moline Beautiful Commission was organized under the direction of Mayor Welvaert. The commission promotes recycling and city-wide beautification efforts, and does community outreach and education with the Blue Can Group.

Mayor Welvaert's efforts have resulted in the city receiving national recognition as a leader in sustainability and environmental initiatives, according to the commission.

Also recognized as Recycle Super Heroes Tuesday were:
-- Gary Kerofsky. Mr. Kerofsky isan activist for neighborhood clean-ups and organizes family, friends and neighbors for the Great American Cleanup each year, and works closely with city staff to ensure everything is processed for recycling. Mr. Kerofsky collects recyclables when he is out and takes it to the city's recycling center.

--Pam Lohman. Ms. Lohman makes recycling a priority at home, work or any place she goes. She challenges everyone to do more. If she is some place where recycling is not available, Ms. Lohman takes the recyclables home to recycle. She has her family bring home excess paper, programs and cardboard boxes from events they attend.

-- Nancy Edlund. Ms. Edlund is a long-timemember of the Rock Island County Home and Community Association, was county home board secretary and became creative recycling director.In 2000, the county home and community association launched a recycling booth at the Rock Island County Fair. Ms. Edlundcoordinates work days wherekits and other things are assembled to be given away at the recycling booth. She also goes with friends to the Homemaker's Craft Camp in Sterling every year to show others how to make crafts out of recycled items.

-- John Deere Seeding Division. The division has more than doubled its recycling in the past year. In the first 11 months of fiscal 2011, it generated 414.6 tons of waste and recycled 87.2 tons of cardboard, plastics, and paper -- a recycling rate of 21 percent. In the first 11 months of fiscal 2012, the division generated 389.4 tons of waste, and recycled 140 tons of cardboard, 59 tons of plastic, and 6.5 tons of paper -- a recycling rate of 53 percent.

The Recycle Super Hero awards are given out annually by the commission. The winners are nominated by people in the community.