Greensboro Recycling Survey and Recycling Program Assessment

Alex ArnettWaste Reduction Supervisor

City of Greensboro

Today’s Topics

• Part I: Recycling Survey– Why we conducted a survey– How we did it– What we learned from it

• Part II: Recycling Program Assessment– Assessment purpose– Key findings– Recommendations

Part I: Recycling Survey

Recycling Survey: The Need

• Program Rebrand/ new outreach• Need to know:–Residents’ knowledge level–Barriers to recycling–Attitudes–Behaviors

Recycling Survey

Process

• Created survey in-house• Printed 90,000 copies in-house• Mailed via water bill• Received responses:– Direct mail– Returned with water bill payment– Survey available online

Survey Response

• Overwhelming response- around 10%

• Most popular response method: with water bill payment

Data Entry

• Used Survey Monkey to enter data

• Over 8,000 paper responses- needed help

• Hired temps, enlisted light-duty employees

• About 10 weeks to enter all data

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Survey Response Map

Recycling Survey Response

Survey Results

• What’s Acceptable “Quiz” Portion

• “C” Average

Material Percent Percent Correct GradeCardboard 95.56% 95.56% AGlass Bottles 94.60% 94.60% A

Newspaper, Magazines, Catalogs 94.54% 94.54% AAluminum Cans 93.23% 93.23% A

Chipboard (Cereal Boxes, etc) 86.57% 86.57% B

Office and School Paper, Junk Mail 80.61% 80.61% CSteel/ Tin Cans 78.61% 78.61% CMilk & Juice Cartons 75.23% 75.23% CPlastics #3-7 72.73% 72.73% DPlastics #1-2 63.59% 63.59% FPizza Boxes 59.94% 59.94% FAluminum Foil & Pie Pans 52.93% 52.93% FAerosol Cans (empty) 45.41% 45.41% FPlastic Bags 26.11% 73.89% DPaper Towels, Tissues 25.02% 74.98% CStyrofoam 20.23% 79.77% CEmpty Motor Oil Bottles 8.92% 91.08% BYard Waste 4.39% 95.61% ATires, Rubber 3.54% 96.46% AClothes 3.12% 96.88% AFood Waste 1.26% 98.74% AOVERALL 81.00% C

Write-In Responses

• I AM A HARDCORE ENVIROMENTALIST AND THERE COULD NEVER BE TOO MANY MEASURES OR EFFEORTS TO SAVE THE PLANTET. I COMMEND THE CITY OF GREENSBORO ON ITS EFFORTS TO KEEP THE GREEENS IN GREENSBORO.

Write-In Responses

• Put simply, I sometimes don't recycle - on purpose - because the City does not REQUIRE it. It's my form of a passive protest because I feel strongly that by recycling currently I am condoning the fact that it's an optional activity…Until common sense is legislated however, I will continue to intentionally not take measures to recycle when I easily could.

Write-In Responses

Weekly

Recycli

ng

Thanks

/ Good Jo

b

Pro Recy

cling

Send Recy

cling G

uide

Promote an

d Educate M

ore

Confused ab

out items

Complaints

Impro

ve M

ulti-Family

Recycli

ng

Accept S

tyrofoam

0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%

Percent

Percent

Attitudes

• Everyone knows that recycling helps the environment• Less sure about where recycling

goes, financial benefits of recycling• Feel unsure about what to recycle

(know the basics, unsure about specifics)

Part II: Recycling Program Assessment

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Program Assessment: Purpose

• Rebrand• Identify strengths and weaknesses• Establish performance benchmarks• Make recommendations that:– Strengthen program and improve performance– Improve customer service and access to programs– Make financial sense, i.e. return on investment

Program Assessment: Key Indicators

• Metrics• Community Input• Programs• Education and Outreach• Marketing• Policy and Code Enforcement• Performance Measurement• Technology

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Metrics

• Contamination Rate

• Recycling Pounds Per Household

• Set-Out Rate (participation rate?)

• Recycling Rate

Metrics- Map

Summary

• Resident confusion and lack of knowledge• Low participation, non-participation• High contamination (20%)- two kinds

of contamination

Key Recommendations

• Blue Cart Conversion project• Direct mail marketing• Code enforcement upgrades• New policies• Multi-Material Drop Off Center

Implementation

Questions?

Alex ArnettCity of Greensboro- Field OperationsWaste Reduction SupervisorAlex.Arnett@Greensboro-NC.gov(336) 373-2342