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Setting up Community Recycling Collection To create a recycling program, the first thing you’ll need is a
team of motivated and environmentally minded community members, including
politicians. You’ll need help in many areas to build a program, such as with
issuing the best collection bins and equipment, choosing and negotiating with the recycling hauler, and
understanding and negotiating different contracts and budgets. Step 2: Create a plan Outline the program’s objectives, keeping them as focused as
possible. As a recycling team, you have many things to determine: Will you
include businesses and apartments in the program,
or just houses? What are you going to recycle? What recyclables do the haulers
want? How often will you pick up recyclables, or will you have a drop-off center?
Can you offset some of the costs by partnering with a neighboring community?
The goals need to be specific to your community’s size and what you decide to
recycle. Step 3: Choose which
materials to recycle Deciding which materials to recycle seems like the easy part. It
can be a slippery slope, though, if you aren’t specific about the materials
that will be part of the program — you’ll have community members who want to
recycle odd items like phone books and electronics . . . and then they’ll try
to set out an old washing machine. The team needs to focus on not only removing
materials from the waste stream but finding a market for them. To start with, what recyclables does your community generate in
the greatest quantities? To better answer
this, conduct a waste assessment to see what is currently being thrown away.
The most common items include aluminum, steel food containers, certain glass
and plastic bottles, and various acceptable papers. Also check with your state’s recycling office about restrictions
regarding materials such as recycling yard waste and household hazardous waste.
With ClearStream all the bases covered. We cover most waste situation with our
products. Step 4: Figure out
collection and processing Check with your state’s recycling office regarding what collection
systems have worked best with large and small communities. Your collection
system is an integral part of your entire program. Consider things such as: ·
Will your recycling
program be collecting the recyclables curbside or will you have drop-off
centers? ·
Will you include businesses? ·
Who will do the
sorting? ·
Depending on the size
of your community, would it be best to outsource the recycling to a contract
hauler? Step 5: Plot a plan
for preventing waste People get so focused on recycling that they forget that
eliminating waste at the source is even better than recycling. Look at ways you
can prevent waste production, then look at managing the ongoing waste to
determine the best recycling options. Once you’ve outlined your recycling goals, negotiated your
recycling hauler and put a collection system in place, it’s time to get
the community’s buy-in. This will take the effort of your entire team, and it’s
crucial to your program’s success. Step 6: Educate the
community Your team will have to educate members of the community on what
can be recycled and why it’s important to participate. The quickest way to get
community buy-in is to align with community leaders who will champion your
efforts. This is an important step in implementing your recycling program. You
will need local and state leaders to help fund your recycling endeavors and
assist you in maneuvering through any unforeseen governmental red tape that
could prevent you from succeeding. Once you’ve gotten a feel for how the community is responding,
you’ll be able to divide your community into two groups: those who are
environmentally friendly and those who may be a little more difficult to
persuade. Begin by marketing to and educating the individuals who fall into the
first group. Explain and simplify the program so it gets off to a positive
start. Once the program is building momentum, start focusing your message on
the people who may not believe that recycling is important. To this second
group, emphasize the economic benefits of recycling over the environmental
values. Recycling is more than a feel-good tree-hugging
movement — it’s a growing industry with positive results for our economy. Get
your local council members and politicians involved by reminding them that, in
addition to helping the environment, your community’s recyclables have a
monetary value. |
