RECYCLING IN PUBLIC SPACES
January 26, 2012
What is Public Space Recycling?
Recovery of recyclables at sites that are open to
the public such as:
• Parks
• Beaches
• Urban sidewalks
• Fairgrounds
• Rest stops
• Public buildings
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Venice Beach, California
Calif.
Parks
The Public Space Arena
Generation & Composition 3
New York City
• Public sources represent 2.5% of total waste
• Recyclable material accounted for ~47% of the contents of public space waste bins
Toronto, Canada
• Public disposes of ~4.4 lbs./capita/year of recyclables in public spaces
Region of Niagara, Canada Venue Composition of total waste generated (approximate)
Parks Recyclables made up ~40% 20% = recyclable beverage containers
25% = pet waste, diapers and illegally dumped household
garbage
Arenas Recyclables made up ~44% 20% = recyclable beverage containers
19% = paper products consisting primarily of coffee cups,
food packaging and paper towels
Streetscape Recyclables made up ~40% 12% = recyclable beverage containers
26% = paper products consisting of wet newsprint, coffee cups
and food packaging
Beaches Recyclables made up ~43% 40% = recyclable beverage containers
47% = food, pet waste and diapers
Value of Public Space Recycling
Public Space Recycling (PSR) Programs create an opportunity to… Recover valuable resources
Reinforce recycling behavior
Address litter and marine debris
Reduce the threat of legislation
Enhance jurisdiction and sponsor reputation
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Public Space Recycling in Canada
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Canadian programs leading the way…
• Quebec Pilot (2008)
• City of Sarnia Pilot (2009)
• City of Halifax Pilot (2010)
First PSR pilot in Canada to include organics collection
• Region of Niagara (2010)
• Manitoba Permanent Program (2010)
CBCRA’s Recycle Everywhere
Industry-managed and funded PSR program
• City of Richmond Pilot (2011)
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Recycle Everywhere, Manitoba
PSR Programs
Performance 6
PSR programs have proven successful in many jurisdictions…
• Quebec, Canada Recovery rates averaging 85% and single location results as high
as 97% for recyclables including aluminum, glass, plastic and gable‐top
• Sarnia, Canada Parks: Average diversion rate of 75% for beverage containers –
73.5% increase over the previous result
Arenas: Average diversion rate of 73% for beverage containers
• Halifax, Canada The waterfront pilot resulted in 95% diversion rate for beverage
containers and combined container/paper diversion rate of 83%
Public Space Recycling in the USA 7
A growing trend…
• Minneapolis
City of Saint Paul and Eureka Recycling public space recycling study and pilot program
• Philadelphia
City launched a major public relations and neighborhood education campaign called "Philly Throws Green"
Installation of recycling containers downtown, alongside trash receptacles
• American Chemistry Council - California
Partnered with Adopt-A-Beach to provide on-the-go recycling on several state beaches and state parks
• Dream Machines - PepsiCo in collaboration with Waste Management and Keep America Beautiful
Provides redeemable Greenopolis points for recyclables
Multiple locations nationwide; 26 in Florida alone
• Coca-Cola & Envipco Pilot Program, Texas
Consumers return beverage containers to Reimagine recycling centers in grocery store parking lots and other public spaces in return for coupons and rewards cards
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Major Stakeholders 8
USA • PepsiCo.
• American Chemistry Council
• Coca-Cola
• American Beverage Association
• Local & State Governments
Canada • Nestle Water
• Canadian Beverage Association
• Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association
• Local & Provincial Governments
• Stewardship Organizations
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Public Space Recycling in Florida 9
PSR in Florida is currently limited
• Some municipally-sponsored programs exist as well as PSR at large-scale festivals and in State parks
Limitations
• Coverage is often spotty
• Best practices may not be employed
• Lack of consistency
Promising Developments
• City of Fort Lauderdale is introducing several new or expanded public space recycling programs
• City of Kissimmee has installed more than 30 solar-powered waste & recycling stations throughout downtown to reduce litter and encourage recycling
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City of Ft. Lauderdale
American Beverage Association
PSR Pilot Program
Pilot locations:
• Palm Beach County
• Possibly one other county
Goals:
• Measure and improve public space recycling performance
• Create effective, attractive, and sustainable recycling system for beverage containers generated in each host jurisdiction
• Create opportunities for public to manage their beverage containers to reduce litter
• Identify and demonstrate use of functional aesthetically pleasing recycling receptacles
• Increase public awareness of opportunities and convenience of recycling in host jurisdictions
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PSR Best Practices 11
Material Selection
• Consider:
materials currently collected in residential recycling
whether the material is sufficient in quantity to warrant
collecting
whether the material is likely to increase contamination
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PSR Best Practices
Bin Placement Location
Balance convenience of locating along high-traffic paths against reduced access staff and visitors will have when foot traffic is greatest
Place bins where waste is likely to be disposed - not where packaged products are sold
Set-Up
Pair recycling bins with garbage bins to reduce contamination
Place bins side-by-side to maximize visibility of both bins
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PSR Best Practices 13
Bin Design/Selection
• Indoor or outdoor?
• Mobility / access requirements?
• Risk of contamination?
• Risk of vandalism?
• Cost?
• Maintenance requirements?
• Messaging requirements?
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PSR Best Practices 14
Promotion & Education
• Principles
Aim for consistency with messaging of surrounding recycling infrastructure (e.g. at-home recycling)
Strongly brand the program, especially when materials accepted differ from those accepted at home
• Encouraging Participation
Extensive advertising and community outreach at program launch
Signage at sites directing visitors toward recycling station
• Reducing Contamination
Signage should be clear, easy to read quickly (symbolic messaging is most effective), resistant to wear, easy to replace
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PSR Best Practices 15
Servicing
• Train staff so they are aware of risks involved in
servicing bins and of goals and proper procedures
• Consult staff early and often
• Service bins according to need - not according to
schedule
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PSR Best Practices 16
Evaluating Program Performance
• Recovery Effectiveness
Pre and post start waste audits are most important component of
measuring improvement in recovery of recyclables
Conduct a pre-start waste audit to form a baseline for later
measurements followed by regular detailed waste audits based on
analysis of a statistically valid sample of bins that are then sorted
Structured observations
• Cost
Greatest costs are capital costs (bin costs, in particular)
Operational costs are difficult to determine
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