RECYCLINGPUBLIC

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BY BECKY MACWHIRTER

Many think that effective public space recycling is the next big step in reaching higher recovery rates in the U.S.

Our author identifies some of the challenges and howto overcome them.

A s residential recycling programs expand across North America, attention is now beginning to turn to the on-the-go segment

to capture the “last mile” of recyclables – those materials left behind by consumers in areas such as parks, streetscapes, beaches and other public spaces. If you could divert a sub-stantial portion of the materials that fill your waste bins in public spaces, what would stop you?

Recyclables from any source represent valuable materials that can and should be diverted from landfill. The pursuit of public space recycling (PSR) stems from the desire to recover these resources and reduce litter. Studies have shown that recyclables can represent upwards of 40-45 percent of total waste generated in public spaces, confirming that a well-designed PSR program provides an important opportunity to increase diver-sion. By targeting a once-ignored segment of the waste stream, PSR can also increase recovery rates of specific material types to help achieve recovery goals set as a result of legislation.

In jurisdictions where litter and marine debris are perva-sive, investment in PSR can contribute to beautification efforts and minimize the impact of discarded waste on the marine environment. Furthermore, enhanced promotional and edu-cational efforts common of PSR programs have been shown to reinforce at-home recycling behavior maximizing the perfor-mance of existing programs. Sponsors of on-the-go recycling options for citizens and tourists build goodwill by demonstrat-ing their commitment to protecting the environment. With broad drivers such as these, the outcome of well-designed PSR programs is more active engagement of citizens in recycling,

cleaner communities and increased diversion of valuable resources from the waste stream.

Collaboration is keyMany public space recycling initiatives are based on a partnership model in which a corporate partner or non-governmental organiza-tion sponsors a program in partnership with a community. This model is key to launching PSR programs, which add new costs for resource-constrained municipalities, with the need to purchase bins, signage and provide adequate promotion and education to achieve success.

Several Canadian cities are at the forefront of PSR recycling, hav-ing implemented pilots and long term programs in collaboration with industry partners such as Nestlé Waters Canada. The beverage indus-try clearly has a major stake in expanding on-the-go recycling options. With products that are often consumed outside the home, beverage containers that are improperly managed (i.e., left behind as litter) are highly visible and a frequent source of public concern. Not only that but they comprise a significant share of the public space waste stream. In beach environments in particular, used beverage contain-ers (namely glass, PET and aluminum) have been shown to represent upwards of 40 percent of total waste generated by weight.

Canada leads the wayPSR programs or pilots have been implemented in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia, each of which has achieved impressive results. Sarnia, Ontario put in place PSR

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RECYCLINGPUBLIC

ii

BY BECKY MACWHIRTER

Many think that effective public space recycling is the next big step in reaching higher recovery rates in the U.S.

Our author identifies some of the challenges and howto overcome them.

recycling in several major parks and arenas, achieving an average beverage container recovery rate of 75 percent in parks and 73 percent in arenas. A waterfront PSR pilot in Halifax, Nova Scotia included not only beverage containers, but paper fibers as well, resulting in a 95 percent recovery rate for bev-erage containers and a combined container/paper recovery rate of 83 percent.

Manitoba, a province of approximately 459,000 households, is now the leader in broad-based PSR recycling, having launched a province-wide program in 2010, under the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA). The Recycle Every-where program is fully industry-managed and -funded and continues to achieve indus-try firsts with partnership agreements with more than 150 communities, more than 5,000 bins on streetscapes, in parks, arenas and business facilities and a continuing commitment to growth. This is proving to be a great success with information and key learnings that support replication elsewhere.

A growing trend in the U.S.In cooperation with local and state govern-ments, several companies have stepped up

efforts in the U.S. to improve access to recycling on-the-go with initiatives spon-sored by PepsiCo., Coca-Cola, the Ameri-can Chemistry Council (ACC) and the American Beverage Association (ABA). In California, the ACC has partnered with Adopt-A-Beach to provide on-the-go recycling on several state beaches and parks and the ABA is piloting a PSR program in Palm Beach County, Florida. PepsiCo in collaboration with Waste Management and Keep America Beautiful has installed reverse vending machines called Dream Machines in multiple locations nationwide that provide redeemable Greenopolis points in return for recyclables. In Texas, Coca-Cola and Envipco launched a pilot program in which consumers return beverage containers to “Reimagine” recycling centers in grocery store parking lots and other public spaces, receiving coupons and rewards cards in return.

Local governments have also launched programs to improve PSR performance. Philadelphia, as an example, launched a major public relations and neighborhood education campaign called “Philly Throws Green” involving the installation of recy-cling containers alongside trash receptacles throughout the business district.

Building a successful programAs PSR grows, so too does our knowledge of how best to design programs to maximize participation and recovery rates. Essential to success is effective planning, consumer conve-nience and promotion and education.

It all starts with information. In the planning stage, waste audits are often con-ducted to determine the type and quantity of material generated at particular sites in order to determine where collection is warranted. When selecting which materials will be collected, program planners should consider the materials currently collected through residential recycling in order to maintain consistency and avoid confusion.

The importance of signage to engage the public and minimize contamination should not be underestimated. The signage located directly on or near bins indicates to users at the point of discard what is accepted and directs users to the appropriate stream. Structured observation conducted in Rich-mond, British Columbia found that PSR signage improved the accuracy rate by which individuals place their waste in the appropri-ate stream by 21 percent. Consumers who looked at the signage prior to throwing out

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their waste directed it into the appropriate stream 96 percent of the time, while those who did not had accuracy rates of only 75 percent. Signage must be clear, easy to read quickly, resistant to wear and easy to replace. Symbolic messaging (pictograms) has been found to be most effective, particularly in multi-lingual areas. Signs should also be installed at sites directing visitors toward the recycling station. Image 1, at right, captures best practices in signage.

When selecting bin models, a range of considerations including mobility/access, cost, maintenance requirements, risk of vandalism, and whether they will be used indoors or outdoors, should be taken into account. Decisions regarding the placement of bins should consider servicing require-ments, consumer convenience and behavior. For instance, to reduce contamination, recy-cling bins should be paired with trash bins and these bins should be placed side-by-side. As for location, the convenience of placing bins along high-traffic paths should be bal-anced against access limitations for staff and visitors when foot traffic is high. Moreover, bins should be placed where waste is likely to be disposed – not necessarily where pack-aged products are sold. To maximize conve-nience, bins should be serviced according to

need, not according to schedule as a full bin is likely to increase litter and the deposit of recyclables in trash bins.

Promotion and education (P&E) is

central to success as well. Through pilot programs, we have learned that P&E efforts should aim for consistency with messaging of surrounding recycling infrastructure (e.g.,

Image 1 | Multi-stream public space bin in the Region of Niagara.

Source: StewardEdge, 2010

Sidebar 1 | Bin design in bottle deposit jurisdictionsIn deposit jurisdictions, beverage containers are sometimes scavenged from public space bins creating a challenge for program op-erators. Individuals remove deposit-bearing containers in order to collect the refund.

Analysis of pilot program data has confirmed that the presence of a deposit/refund system for beverage containers can suppress the quantity of beverage con-tainers that remain disposed of in public spaces. In British Columbia, for example, individuals were observed removing containers from recycling racks (separate compartment on bin for bottles and cans) and new bins were vandalized by individu-als attempting to break into the units to recover beverage containers.

Although there is no definitive solu-tion, program planners can: 1) select bins that allow easy access to deposit containers like in San Francisco and Vancouver; or 2) strengthen the security features (locks) on the bins to restrict access. The former will minimize mess and damage but the loss of valuable recyclables will affect the program’s

revenue stream. The latter will thwart scavenging but encourage damage as individuals attempt to recover contain-

ers regardless. The debate continues as to which approach is preferable.

Image 2 | San Francisco public space bin.

Source: StewardEdge, 2011

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at-home recycling) and the program should be strongly branded, especially if materials accepted for PSR differ from those accepted at home. To encourage participation, there should be extensive advertising and com-munity outreach at program launch and maintained as an ongoing element of the program.

There is a strong behavioral component that must be recognized when planning the P&E aspects of the program. Public space recycling requires a change in individual mindset and a wider collective change to-ward establishing recycling as a social norm. A two-prong strategy focusing on increasing individual knowledge and public awareness is therefore ideal.

In Manitoba, the CBCRA has made significant progress in its P&E efforts. It took care to establish a strong public presence from the outset, with distinc-tive branding, widespread distribution of eye-catching recycling bins and by sending its “Street Team” to countless events and festivals throughout the province to educate the public, spread enthusiasm for the pro-gram and engage individuals in recycling. They back this up with a dynamic Facebook and Twitter presence, strategic advertising and a solid presence through the program’s website, www.recycleeverywhere.ca. The CBCRA mantra is to empower individuals with knowledge to create buy-in and create recycling ambassadors – and it works.

CBCRA’s on-the-ground approach creates an opportunity to engage directly with individuals to build their capacity to understand the benefits of recycling and convince them that their individual efforts are necessary to achieve collective goals. It also allows the team to tailor communica-tion techniques to target a particular demo-graphic. For instance, at children’s events, the team uses visual displays as opposed to oral discussion to educate attendees.

The case for public space recyclingSome detractors will argue that investment in public space recycling is misguided because it targets a very small percentage of total waste generated within a community. This view is short-sighted as it ignores the immeasur-able value of PSR as a tool for reinforcing recycling behavior in all aspects of people’s lives whether at home, at work or at play. Ex-perience in Canada has proven that effective engagement will not only improve recovery rates within the PSR program, but will have

spillover effects on residential collection. Equally as important, PSR recycling offers a valuable platform to educate and engage the public more broadly about environmental issues. PSR is part of a larger paradigm shift in which materials are thought of as resources rather than waste.

Successful PSR projects and programs like the ones discussed above provide a valuable template that can be replicated and expanded in other communities. The ulti-mate desired outcome is that public space recycling as a component of a broader and widely adopted strategy to recover materials

in residential and industrial, commercial and institutional settings will one day embed the act of recycling in the collective consciousness so that valuable resources no longer go to waste.

For questions regarding public space recy-cling, in Canada, please contact Ken Friesen, General Manager, StewardEdge at kfriesen@stewardedge.ca or (416) 646-1881. In the U.S., please contact Betsy Dorn, Senior Consultant, StewardEdge at bdorn@ stewardedge.com or (561) 337-5790.