The City of Bellevue has received the 2010 Youth Education Recycler of the Year Award from the Washington State Recycling Association for a program that features a cartoon character to help residents reduce carbon emissions.

The Carbon Yeti is a large, hairy, bigfoot character who is wasteful of the planet’s resources. A pledge book that explains global climate change shows the Carbon Yeti learning easy ways to reduce his carbon footprint around the home.

The city has been taking the Carbon Yeti program into Bellevue’s middle schools through a partnership with Puget Sound Energy’s Powerful Choices for the Environment program as well as other school events such as science fairs.

Students take home pledge books that explain global climate change and suggest ways to reduce energy use in and around the home. So far, residents from 847 households have sent in pledge cards listing what they are doing to reduce their carbon footprint.

Bellevue residents who would like a Smaller Footprint Pledge book should call Bellevue Utilities at 425-452-6932.