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Designing Effective Public Space Recycling Programs
Alec Cooley, Director of Recycling Programs
SERDC Recycling Summit Point Clear, AL
November 12, 2014
Who We Are
Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit
that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities.
• With our strong affiliate and partnership network, including state recycling organizations, we engage millions of volunteers who take action in their communities through programs that deliver positive and lasting impact
• We offer solutions that:
- Create clean, beautiful public places
- Reduce waste and increase recycling
- Inspire generations of environmental stewards
- Generate positive impact on the local economy
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Our Mission
Engaging individuals to take greater responsibility
for improving their community’s environment
KAB Recycling Programs
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• Building Awareness and Activation
– RecycleMania
– Recycle-Bowl
– America Recycles Day
– Ad Council Campaign
– Give and Go: Campus Move Out
• Public Space Recycling
• Thought Leadership
– Symposium
– Ongoing Webinar series
– CURC professional training
– Research Agenda
What is Public Space Recycling?
Settings •Streetscape
•Parks
•Athletic fields
•Venues
•Airports
•Courtyards, Pathways
•Food Courts
•Building lobbies
•Special events
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Bins 20 to 35 gallon
Materials •Beverage containers
•Food containers
•Paper
•Food organics
Public Space Recycling
• Next frontier in recycling
• Traditionally a lower priority: o Smaller percentage of recycling
o Economics: capitol & operational costs
o It’s hard – too many failed programs
• Has PSR’s time come? o Zero Waste goals
o Visibly communicates values
o Reinforce behavior across
the board
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Do People Care Enough to Recycle?
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Behavior Fundamentals
Environmental Attitudes
• 15% “Super Greens”
• 15% Eco-Sceptics
• 70% “Sometimes” Recyclers
Target: 70% in the middle
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Getting People To Recycle
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1. Motivating behavior
2. Making recycling a habit
• Remove barriers:
o Lack of convenience
o Confusion of what to do
• Discarding trash & recycling is not primary focus of attention
• The Homer Principle:
o All bins are “waste” bins at first glance
o Split second to communicate
Public Space Recycling is Not Simple
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What Research Tells Us
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Restrictive lids Duffy, Verges -2008
• Indoor bins – College academic building
• Recycling increased 34%
• Trash decreased 95%
• Suggested lids helped identify recycling
Number & Locations of Bins O’Connor, Lerman & Fritz -2010
• Hallways & classrooms of academic building
• Adding bins to classrooms increased bottle recycling 128%
Form vs. Function
• Behavior is too often an after thought
• Must be considered at the start
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Placement
• Orientation to foot traffic
• Indistinguishable from each other
• No Messaging
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Messaging
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• Clear simple messaging
• Avoid too much detail
Visual Cues
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• Special signage
• Clear bins allow people to see contents
“Twin the Bin”
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Washington DC
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Coordination across jurisdictions
• National Mall
• Federal Dept’s
• Smithsonian
• Local BID’s
• Universities
KAB Public Space Initiatives
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Objective: Knowledge & resources to improve Public Space Recycling
1. Research agenda
• Aggregate surveys, studies
• Partners for further research
2. Knowledge resources
• BMP’s
• Case studies
• Academic papers
• Templates & planning doc’s
http://americarecyclesday.org
3. Bin Grants
KAB Bin Grant Programs
2010 - 2014
• 32,000 bins have been awarded
• Approx. 2.5 million lbs. of recycling annually
• Greenhouse gas prevention: 4,200 MTCO2E
2014 Bin Grants
– Daily recycling access to 507,000 people
– Total 2014 Bin Value over $660,000
– $134,000 Leveraged dollar to further expand recycling infrastructure (2013)
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Key Points
1. Professional planning
2. Function before form
3. Metrics are Key
4. Be prepared to monitor and improve
Contact:
Alec Cooley
(843) 278 7686
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National Ad Campaign Communication Strategy
Research: Holding participation back: • Lack of access or inconvenience • Lack of awareness and understanding • Lack of motivation • Unemotional Brand - The recycling brand feels “old
school” and needs to be modernized
Strategies: • Reinvigorate the recycling “brand” • Generate awareness and understanding of how,
where and what to recycle • Mobilize individual ownership and emotional
connection • Develop a long-term digital platform where people
are empowered to take action • Transform recycling into a daily social norm
Strategic Territories
Five creatively driven strategic territories:
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Key Insight - Give your garbage another life.
