Hi All,
I recently procured aluminum recycling bins for my company with grey magnets saying "EMPTY ALUMINUM ONLY" with photos of a soda can, aluminum water bottle, and aluminum cup. These bins sit next to trash bins with black magnets saying "LANDFILL." Unfortunately, I am noticing a lot of contamination in the aluminum bin. I would be interested in hearing suggestions about how to reduce contamination - clearly, the signage is not enough. Perhaps moving these bins away from the trash bins would work? I am interested in learning what has worked for all of you. Thanks!
I recently procured aluminum recycling bins for my company with grey magnets saying "EMPTY ALUMINUM ONLY" with photos of a soda can, aluminum water bottle, and aluminum cup. These bins sit next to trash bins with black magnets saying "LANDFILL." Unfortunately, I am noticing a lot of contamination in the aluminum bin. I would be interested in hearing suggestions about how to reduce contamination - clearly, the signage is not enough. Perhaps moving these bins away from the trash bins would work? I am interested in learning what has worked for all of you. Thanks!
Thanks for your question. It is difficult to know exactly without photos but my hunch based on professional experience is that this problem primarily concerns colour association. I am not sure if this is true in your region but in Ontario, blue bins are universally recognized as recycling and black or grey bins are recognized as waste. When people engage in the behaviour of recycling or putting an item in the waste, there are split second decisions that are made with very little conscious thought. So it would be helpful for you to simplify the process as much as possible. You could change the colour of the recycling bins to make them brighter and less likely to be confused with waste bins. You might also consider using one word for the signage, "Aluminum", instead of three words, and the signage should be quite large and easy to see. You could also do a waste audit before and after the changes you make to see if there is a positive difference. If so, you could modify all of the bins in your building and potentially save a bit of money on waste fees.
I hope this helps.