Aside from Langley, Seattle, NYC, and Toronto, has any other municipality experimented with Recycling Ambassadors? (Recycling Ambassadors are volunteer tenants in apartment buildings with an interest in recycling and the environment)
I am working to develop a program similar to that of the cities listed above where there are tenants who volunteer within their apartment building to encourage recycling and composting.
Im interested in knowing the main struggles people are having/had in developing this program and also finding ways around them.
If youve tried this initiative, what is your success rate, volunteer ratio to buildings, retention on the volunteers etc?
-Liz
Liz Enriquez
Waste Reduction Technical Analyst
City of Hamilton
Canada
Case-study: Recycling Ambassadors (volunteer tenants in apartments)
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We've been training Master Composter Recycler Volunteers in Edmonton since 1991. The volunteers are ambassadors for all responsible waste management practices but we did try using their passion and expertise to help reach multifamily residents a few years ago.
Responsibilities of the Recycling Educator Role:
-Deliver educational packages on recycling and waste disposal to new tenants of participating multifamily dwellings.
-Create a positive working relationship and frequent contact with the property manager in your assigned building to ensure timely and organized information flow from you to new tenants on recycling.
-Work with WMB staff and/or property managers to determine opportunities to expand educational opportunities within the dwelling such as putting up recycling posters in common areas, distributing other waste management material such as the Urban Recycler, and acting as a community resource for tenants.
-Provide outcome information to the MCR Program such as number of residents reached, volunteer hours given, and changes in participation rates within the dwelling.
Volunteers were assigned anywhere from 1 to 3 buildings.
The multifamily recycling educator role dwindled down as in the end, the volunteers were for the most part delivering packages to the property owner for distribution. We decided this was not a good use of their time. There is still one or two volunteers that request the packages for distribution which includes a what goes where guide and a magnet showing what is recyclable all inside a bag which hangs on doors. If we gave the program another try we would have to find ways to connect the volunteers directly with the tenants.
I hope this helps and am looking forward to hearing your results!
Laura Henderson
Waste Reduction Coordiantor
City of Edmonton Waste Management Services
Canada
I'd like to learn more about both the Edmonton and Orange County programs. Can you point me to more details, or contact me at [email protected]
john davis
mojave desert and mountain recycling authority
United States
www.urecycle.org
hello,
We have a recycling ambassador program that started as an apartment recycling outreach tool, but morphed into recycling education in multiple forms: at special events, door to door in residential neighborhoods and apartments. We have tshirts! Have not tried to solicit individuals in apartments to be the ambassadors for their building-- the first RA program we attempted involved a student organization that volunteered to collect recycling from student oriented apartments. Could not get anyone to sign up for the service, and without volunteer hours, the program dried on the vine. I like your model though and am interested in how you go about soliciting for potential Ambassadors.
Thanks!
Muriel Williman
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Orange County Solid Waste Management
United States