[OKRA] FW: Improve Curbside Quality

Tue Nov 4 09:17:30 PST 2014

Newsletter from Curbside Value Partnership…

From: Curbside Value Partnership [mailto:info=recyclecurbside.org at mail26.wdc03.rsgsv.net] On Behalf Of Curbside Value Partnership
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2014 10:46 AM
To: info at recycleok.org
Subject: Improve Curbside Quality

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For curbside recycling, QUALITY means: ACCURACY of recyclable material (the right materials in the stream) AND CLEANLINESS of that material (clean and dry).

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Put yourself in the shoes of a MRF operator: trucks roll in day and night, loaded to the gills with recyclables and who knows what else, and they are charged with safely and efficiently sorting out the good from the bad from the best across a growing mix of materials.

Three Wishes of the Modern MRF

If they could get three wishes regarding that incoming stream, what would they ask for? We spoke to several MRFs across the country, and here’s what appeared at the top of their lists:

  1.  Tangle free. Long and stringy items, from garden hoses to Christmas lights and old wire to coat hangers, wreak havoc on equipment and create safety hazards for employees. (Speaking of havoc, don’t get them started on plastic bags, gumming up their machinery at every turn…)
  2.  Recycle it right. Just because it’s recyclable somewhere doesn’t mean it’s recyclable at the MRF. Clothing, electronics, food waste and car parts might make the grade at specific sites, but are non-starters at the MRF.
  3.  No garbage in = no garbage out. Getting the right materials prepared the right way – clean and dry – drops residual rates, keeps costs in line and makes the whole system work more smoothly. Back in the day, curbside containers had no lids and truck drivers could easily reject contaminants. Carts with lids paired with automated collection vehicles have increased efficiencies, but new quality controls are needed.

What does this mean for recycling program operators? Educated recyclers are better recyclers. A combination of smart signage, targeted campaigns and quality control on routes can go a long way in clearing up misconceptions.

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Quality adds up

Local programs collect a Quality mix of materials. MRFs sort into the highest possible grades. Materials continue on to the best uses, increasing value and improving future recyclability. Not only does contamination cause costs to go up and revenues to go down, but program confidence also suffers as material recyclability plunges.

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Survey: To understand what quality means to your program, you have to appreciate what it means to your MRF.

What materials are causing real problems? How can the MRF help with the solutions? Talk your MRF thorough this simple survey to get the inside scoop, then apply what you’ve learned to your communications and supportive enforcement efforts.

Check out this Survey Starter<http://recyclecurbside.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e83197e33007df6b4ecffd54f&id=b8f4fcdefa&e=878f79820d>

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PSYCHIATRY CORNER:
Why Good People Recycle Bad Things

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If you want to help people get high quality materials into their recycling containers, you need to get inside their heads. Here are some common personality types you’re dealing with, and how you can work with each:

[img]Wish-cyclers Personality:

These fine citizens hold recycling as a core value and they are your recycling champions, but most of all, these dedicated recyclers wish your program would accept more types of material. Frequently, these wishful thinkers include “extra” items with their recyclables and hope for the best, trusting that if that item gets into the system it will find its way to being recycled. Solution: The best part about these committed recyclers is they tend to dig a little deeper into the details of recycling than most. Continue to celebrate their efforts while communicating that this method of “recycling” is really the most expensive and highest impact form of disposal. After all, these unacceptable materials have to be collected, transported, sorted, rejected, loaded, transported again, then disposed of. Pro tip: Link this message to explicit details of what’s recyclable to help them break their bad habit.

[img]Skeptics Personality:

Perhaps they’re cautious, or just a little bit jaded, but these careful citizens have their doubts that their materials actually get recycled. Maybe they’ve heard of recyclables being disposed of during market dips, or they simply can’t conceive of how mixed materials could possibly be sorted and recovered. Whatever the reason, they have doubts.
Solution: To help these skeptics feel more comfortable and confident in their recycling, be transparent about your program. Give them a glimpse into the whole process through videos, pictures or flow diagrams, taking care to point out how their participation benefits them and their community. Pro tip: Update them on changes as quickly and thoroughly as possible, and make sure your messaging is consistent across media – website, signage, social media, brochures and other materials.

[img]Retro-cyclers Personality:

These citizens want to do the right thing, but the evolving nature of recycling coupled with the variability across programs makes it tough to keep track of what’s recyclable. Plastic bottles or all rigid plastics? Clean cardboard only or pizza boxes too? Just metal cans or also pots and pans? Even professional recyclers can have a hard time keeping pace.
Solution: Talk to your hauler and MRF to confirm the most up to date information on which specific materials are accepted, and communicate the details as simply as possible to residents. Taking it a step further, create a targeted campaign to educate your residents on the most common materials not accepted by your MRF but most heavily included by residents. Pro tip: To maximize the effect, be memorable, repetitious, actionable, repetitious, consistent and repetitious.

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Work Together

One of the main barriers to reducing contamination and improving quality is communication. Share this email and start a conversation.

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How to Say No

In general

  *   In your day-to-day signage and communications, focus on simple, positive messages and the materials you DO accept.
  *   Relay the NOs in other ways, like targeted campaigns or more personal interactions. Make it pertinent to your audience by linking poor quality to costs or inefficiencies that directly affect them.
  *   Use the phrase “not at this time.” After all, change is a constant in recycling, and you don’t want to make it too hard to break habits later .
  *   Keep material prep simple by using the phrase “clean and dry.”

On signage

  *   If you must list something as not acceptable, only include items that cause real problems, like risks to employee safety or equipment.
  *   Keep it positive—limit the list of items not accepted to no more than ¼ the number of YES items.
  *   Just like YES items, brevity is good and pictures are better.

On the route

  *   Practice supportive enforcement by looking into bins and leaving “oops” tags when you see poor quality. Be sure to acknowledge people for doing their part.
  *   Train drivers to keep messages straightforward and positive: “I’m sorry, but we can’t take that material right now because of [no market / health concerns / sorting challenges]. Recycling is always improving, so hopefully that will change. Thank you for doing your part!”
  *   If other avenues exist for recycling something, point them out. Just because it doesn’t go into the bin/cart/drop-off doesn’t mean it can’t be recycled somewhere.

On your website

  *   Mimic your signage: frontload with YES!
  *   Provide more detailed lists of YES and NO through a link or further down the page. People who would follow through will follow the trail.

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STAY CONNECTED

We are always introducing more practical tools and assistance.

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WEBINAR: Improving Quality

Sign up for the FREE webinar
DEC 16th 2014

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ENTER TO WIN

EMAIL<mailto:info at recyclecurbside.org> us a picture, screen shot, pdf or link showcasing your best example. The top five entries will be featured during our upcoming webinar<http://recyclecurbside.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e83197e33007df6b4ecffd54f&id=9863ff4cfd&e=878f79820d> --DEC 16th -- for a live vote. The winner gets a $200 gift card for showing how it's done!

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Resources A-Z

We have a library of info.

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Contact us

info at recyclecurbside.org<mailto:info at recyclecurbside.org>

Executive Director: Keefe Harrison
kharrison at recyclecurbside.org<mailto:kharrison at recyclecurbside.org>
(864) 760-8828

Project Director: Karen Bandhauer
kbandhauer at recyclecurbside.org<mailto:kbandhauer at recyclecurbside.org>
(970) 672-7660

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Curbside Value Partnership · 1525 Wilson Blvd. · Suite 600 · Arlington, VA 22209 · USA

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