Increasing Recycling Rates at Institutions (hospitals, colleges)

Hello Janice,

Among my Municipal units (I represent 13) some have single bag recycling and some have dual. Perhaps you don't need to change the culture. If you are processing single bag and the loads arrive separated, what is the issue? I can certianly understand if you were moving in the other direction.

Reason I ask - some residents that live in one of my areas may work in another. It was getting increasingly difficult to address the behaviour change because we were often percieved as always changing our programs or we can't get the program consistent across juristictions. On a second look, we felt that as long as the recyclables were not going in landfill and the bags still came to our processor, it didn't matter if it was in one bag or two. So we minimize the message by repeating what is recyclable EVERYWHERE. This is often published/communicated as separate columns;'containers' and 'fibre'. The layout presets there are two streams, but the secondary message then advises "ALL items can go in one bag in county X and Y". In the single bag counties they mostly get single bags but sometimes get the materials in two bags, but it does not harm their processing.

Valda Walsh
Region 6 Solid Waste

Hi Jan,
I'm so happy that you're on this forum, as well!

I posed a similar question, but more specific to single stream signage. I think that signage and the receptacle themselves to wonders for behavior / educational change campaigns.

Recycle Across America signs - http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

Rubbermaid Single Stream Top - you can buy this from Lancelot Janitorial in East Boston (781 592-3170, George) for $120 for four or online at http://www.rubbermaidforless.com/rubbermaid-1788372-slim-single-stream-recycling-slim-containers-dark-blue-color-product_info-2172.html

The waste campaigns that I have found most effective are those that use the report from their waste hauler that details waste stream percentages to incentivize interdepartmental competition. For example, if we can increase recycling percentage by 2% in 3 months, you get a pizza party.

Best of luck, Megan

Megan Ramey
Sustainability Coordinator
A Better City
United States
www.challengeforsustainability.org

Pamela:

It is urgent to get on with conservation in ways that are truly understandable. See what you wrote to me at the bottom of this e-mail. "Single Stream Signage" is still incomprehensible theory after you explained it. Surely you don't mean that we are to stop sorting our plastic waste and let the city or county or province/state do it for us? Show the steps involved. Be practical.

Step number one: use English without colloquialisms. Dreaming up slogans like "Single Stream Signage" is not the answer. Even "Single Stream" is more than I can understand. In your efforts to improve the environment use English in ways that are understandable by anyone around the world, whether educated or not, young or old. I have two degrees and do not comprehend these and many other terms which shroud our efforts with failure, or at best slow down progress. People become bored and apathetic by vague ideas.

Step number two is to make the results of our efforts visible. If we can see progress nearby we are encouraged. Taking our refuse "somewhere" doesn't motivate us or increase our confidence. We would be encouraged if
1). If- We were told which industries buy certain kinds of plastic waste,
2). If- What furniture and textiles they manufacture and
3). If- We were told where they sell them.

Step number three: Replace Styrofoam with something biodegradable and then make Styrofoam illegal.

Please care enough to get your ideas across clearly in practical ways. Progress is delayed by vague theories. There is no time to lose. There is a plastic waste island the size of Texas or BC in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and the gills of our fish are filled with bits of plastic. Our air is seriously polluted and the shore line of our Great Lakes has dropped several yards/metres. There is no time to lose.

Myrtle

PS. I sort my plastics, alternate paper, corrugated cardboard and metals and return containers. None of my neighbors do. Show us whether that is worth doing. I am 90 years old and getting tired of wasting my time on non-essentials.

There is nowhere to take organic kitchen waste. My strata bylaws won't allow composting. Will someone please tell me if I should buy and install a garbarator. I keep asking and not getting answers. M


 

The City of Asheville municipality converted to single stream last April 2010. We found using a variety of outreach methods to reach the different employee groups (i.e. office based, field staff, etc) was helpful. We developed email messages for our Green Team members to send out to each of their respective departments. There are field staff representatives that print out and post emails for field staff to keep them in the loop. We increased recycling infrastructure by providing more blue recycling bins. We developed marketing flyers and signs on the blue bins that say the "Blue Bin Does it All" (instead of saying single stream recycling where as Myrtle pointed out the term single stream is not very defining) and listed all acceptable recyclable material. We also set a goal to recycle 40 tons in the first year of going single stream which we surpassed. Goal was communicated on our Sustainability page of the Employee intranet which was included in all outreach material along with more detailed info on the single stream program. We launched the program on Earth Day 2010 and had tabling events with info on the new recycling program. We also went around with the cleaning staff who collect the recycling before and after the new program was launched to see if there were any contamination issues and to address those so they did not continue via increased education. The program has been successful and has helped lead to the City's decision to provide curbside single stream recycling for city residents.

Hope this information helps.

Rachel Rogers
Sustainability Outreach Specialist
City of Asheville
United States

I think I should rephrase my question. I am looking for CBSM techniques to get more people to recycle in hospital and college environments. We are thinking of holding a competition with a thermometer graphic to reach a goal. We know we need good international signage and colors of bins. In reading the thread on recycling in high schools it looks like a monitor is important for some period of time. Any other advice? Does anyone have lessons learned from other hospital or college settings? Thanks! Jan

Janice Henderson
Sr. Planner
MASCO
United States

Myrtle, I find that sustainability professionals use 'single stream' internally, but 'mixed recycling' for communications purposes (see Recycling Across America).

Megan Ramey
Sustainability Coordinator
A Better City
United States
www.challengeforsustainability.org

There is nowhere to take kitchen waste. My strata bylaws won't allow composting. Will someone please tell me if I should buy and install a garbarator. I keep asking and not getting answers.


Myrtle Macdonald
Consultant
retired
Canada

Thanks for all the specific tips, Rachel.

If anyone else has any more specific tips, that would be great. Do you believe that there needs to be "7 touches" before a consumer will change behavior? Bookmarks, magnets, people canvassing by the front door, getting a core group of users on board - which of these have been most helpful?

Are there any resources that help identify best tactics?

Ora Chaiken
WaterSmart Software
United States
www.watersmartsoftware.com

A garburator is definitely not the way to go. See this link: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/queen-of-green/2010/11/break-up-with-your-garburator/ Why don't you set up a small vermicomposting bin in your kitchen? It can go under the sink. We have one at work and it doesn't stink or cause any problems.

Regards,
Nancy

Nancy Webber
Program Development/Coordinator
Clean Nova Scotia
Canada
www.clean.ns.ca

Don't use a garburator! What about a bokashi bucket? Look at http://www.bokashi.com.au/How-Bokashi-works.htm

Best wishes
Sue

sue jarvis
Lincoln Envirotown Trust
New Zealand
www.lincolnenvirotown.org.nz

Regarding your desire to utilize competitions as a strategy - Keep America Beautiful helps to administer RecycleMania (a collegiate recycling competition) and is building a similar competition for K-12 schools. The research I have seen says competitions help bring about behavior change when you provide regular feedback to participants and can make everyone feel like they win. Remember to keep it fun also.

Another resource would be the collegiate and university recycling coalition - http://www.curc3r.org/.

Kelley Dennings
United States

Hi Janice,

At the recent Recycling Council of British Columbia Conference, I had the pleasure of meeting two women who were working on increasing recycling in health care institutions. They had terrific insights into applying cbsm in hospitals.

The following link is to their powerpoint presentation, which includes their contact information on the last slide. http://rcbc.bc.ca/files/u7/con2011_ChristineRonning.pdf

I hope this is helpful.

Cheers,

Ken


Ken Donnelly
Vice President, Atlantic Canada
Lura Consulting
Canada
www.beyondattitude.com

Hi Janice,

The province of Ontario (Ministry of the Environment) has developed tools for the IC&I sector designed to encourage behaviour change with respect to waste reduction.

These tools have been developed specific to each sector. In particular, there are tools for the education sector as well as for Hospitals.

The school sector focuses primarily on Junior and Senior schools, but the information can be applied to college level as well.

The Hospital sector has unique tools designed to increase waste diversion among patients AND staff.

Case studies are featured in each and we will continue to update these case studies over the coming months.

EcoSchools, both TDSB and Ontario have incredible resources for schools. Again, primarily focused on grade and highschool, some of the materials can be used in a college environment.

Ontario Hospital Association has also done incredible work in the behaviour change and materials management area of hospitals.

Check out www.ontario.ca/wastereduction to access the resources and tools.

I'd be happy to put you in touch with key contacts at the above mentioned organizations if you're interested.

Feel free to contact me directly

Neil Sammut
Senior Advisor, Public Education
MOE
[email protected]
(416)314-6591


Neil Sammut
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Canada