R3 conference collegecompetition

Editor's Notes

• #3: Directory lists outlets and mail back programs that accept directly from citizens, the average joe. Specifically listing non-traditional, difficult-to-manage materials. Stuff you don’t want going into curbside and messing up the MRFs. Asking all municipalities to link to the website on their DPW or BoH sites. Will continue growing the directory.
• #4: Simple answer. DEP asked. It fit our mission and newer direction. Good avenue to educating a lot of people at once.
• #5: It was a way to begin addressing and educating about contamination issues. If you attended the earlier SSR session, you probably heard that plastic film is a huge problem for example.
• #6: Contamination problem isn’t a handling problem. It’s an education and behavioral psychology problem. People are throwing plastic bags away as optimistic recyclers. They think plastics can all go into the curbside bins. Never heard of a MRF (are we talking about little blue people?). They probably have never heard the words “Waste Ban” in their lives. Average joe probably hears 40% recycling rate and thinks, “OK…..good?” In a recent Staples study that showed that citizens tend to hoard their electronics instead of recycling them, almost a third of those surveyed admitted that they kept the electronics because they didn’t know they could recycle them.
• #7: But it isn’t just lack of knowledge. There is also a growing psychological disconnect. ISRI study shows that 18 to 34 year olds less likely to recycle, less likely to consider recycling critical to reducing energy consumption, less critical to reducing landfill space, when compared to those 65 and older. A third of the 18 to 34 year olds admitted confusion about whether items are recyclable. (Less than a quarter for 35 to 64)
• #8: ISRI was a survey, so did not address why. Postulate anecdotally for a second – when I started, I was struck by how aggressive folks in the recycling advocacy industry are compared to land conservation. You approach someone aggressively, they are going to tune you out. I also noticed how much information was thrown at you. Studies about BMPs to impact behavior change by KAB, OglivyEarth, etc., all say the same thing – convenient, simple, clear, POSITIVE. People want to be told what the right thing to do, but not ordered to do it.
• #9: Brings us to the College Competition. We felt that it was a great way to kill two birds with one stone. We engage college students, the demographic that will be our leaders soon but have a disconnect, and have educate them while also having them educate others – community-based social marketing. Videos will help educate the general public quickly in a positive way.