Recycling education
Low prices and stringent standards for recyclable commodities impacted the bottom line for many city governments. Walla Walla sent all recyclable material to Portland, Ore., for processing, which was costly. The recycling program was nearly in the red.
I developed a strategy to help increase the net worth of the commodities and keep the recycling program solvent by making community members aware of the situation and educating them about choosing the correct items to place in their bins.
I communicated the challenge in a straightforward manner through email and printed newsletters.
I created an online quiz, promoted through Facebook and email newsletters, that asked community members to choose whether items were recyclable or not recyclable. Those who got at least 85% of the questions correct were entered into a drawing to receive one of 200 T-shirts bearing art I designed. I partnered with a local printing company to donate the T-shirts and the printing. About 1,100 community members participated in the quiz.
I implemented the RecycleCoach app, which alerts users on their recycling days and contains a list of recyclable items.
I developed a new format for recycling calendars – a 6.5” X 11” postcard. I made them more useful to customers by working with GIS to create mailing lists for each of the 10 recycling routes. Customers received postcards with recycling dates for only their routes instead of letters with hard-to-read maps and schedules with all of the routes. In both English and Spanish, the postcards I designed promoted the RecycleCoach app and shared recycling protocols and lists of non-recyclable items.
The strategy was featured as a progressive solution for recycling education in the September/October 2018 issue of the Associated Washington Cities magazine Cityvision. During the downturn in the commodities market, the city was able to continue its recycling program in a financially sustainable manner.