The Tentative CRRA2021 Program is now available for viewing. Please note that more information will be added in the coming weeks. All scheduling is subject to change.
Using technology to improve outreach, participation, and tracking around residential recycling
Session Description
Technology, passion, innovation, outreach, and collaboration combine to create unique ways of tracking recycling behavior, while at the same time educating the public and bringing awareness around the “do’s” and “don’ts” of what to put in the recycling bin. However, questions still exist about how to implement effective outreach campaigns, how best to track what is actually put in bins, how to increase residential participation, and how technology can best be used to facilitate these steps towards efficiency, Zero Waste, and Sustainability. Coming from three different industries, City Government, Software Development, and technology around quantitative analysis, we will explore these topics and discuss solutions, methods, and results.
Real Humans+Innovative Technology = Higher Participation+Lower Contamination
PRESENTATION TOPIC
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Session Description
INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER
Speakers
Lauren Tango, Recyclist
Title
Technical Project Coordinator
Speaker Biography
Lauren Tango is the Technical Project Coordinator for Recyclist. Interested in both promoting behavior that positively impacts our environment, and technology, her role combines these to bring Recyclist’s innovative application to municipalities across the country. She has worked on researching renewable energy technology, the impact of water policy on ecosystems, and is excited to continue to learn about and contribute even more to the solid waste and recycling industry. When not working, she enjoys spending time in the outdoor places she is passionate about conserving.
Abstract Title
Real Humans+Innovative Technology = Higher Participation+Lower Contamination
Speaker Abstract
What happens when two people strike up an impromptu conversation about lid-flipping at a CRRA conference? Great things! Back in 2019 in Palm Springs, a dialog started between The Recycling Partnership and Recyclist about gathering residential lid-flipping data and the potential to use it to impact program participation and contamination levels. That conversation eventually moved online (of course, by then it was 2020!), and ultimately yielded an innovative collaboration between the two organizations.
Now, using a customized version of the Recyclist Program Tracker, field inspectors participating in The Recycling Partnership’s Feet on the Street program give direct feedback to residents about their contamination and track it via mobile app. Project managers in the office can see those reports in real time. The collected data is then used to conduct targeted outreach and analyze the program’s overall impact on participation and contamination results over time.
Attendees in this session will learn about best practices for efficient residential outreach as well as see critical data from The Recycling Partnership’s Feet on the Street program. As jurisdictions across California look towards rolling out or expanding residential organics collection programs by 2022, it’s never been more important to understand the dynamics of monitoring contamination and delivering targeted education. The timing couldn’t be better: the new data that The Recycling Partnership is rapidly accumulating on recycling has great potential to help municipalities gain insights into how we can tangibly move the needle towards higher participation and lower contamination in both residential recycling and organics programs
How to double your public participation with effective outreach
PRESENTATION TOPIC
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
ORGANICS
REUSE/REDUCE
Session Description
Individiual speaker
Speakers
Erica Mertens, Town of Truckee
Title
Recycling Program Manager
Speaker Biography
Erica leads Keep Truckee Green, the Town of Truckee’s sustainability resiliency & solid waste programs. During her five years in Truckee, she's negotiated and implemented a new franchise agreement, started a reusable to-go box program, and aided in drafting Truckee’s first ever Climate Action Plan. Erica was previously an environmental scientist at CalRecycle, after studying Environmental Policy at UC Davis. Outside of work, Erica relishes the mountain lifestyle: running, skiing & biking.
Abstract Title
How to double your public participation with effective outreach campaigns
Speaker Abstract
How did a small town save 500,000 plastic bags from being landfilled, collect 250% more yard waste tonnage, and double its recycling participation in three years? In this presentation, we will discuss how we used a robust public engagement process to implement new residential yard waste and recycling programs in Truckee. This includes messaging strategies that will set up any new or needing-improvement programs to be successful.
In this presentation, learn how to:
- Develop a concise, clear campaign message
- Identify your call to action
- Understand how to distill your audiences
- Learn practical tips on social media & traditional media platforms
The key takeaways from this presentation can be applied to small towns with limited resources, vacation destination areas with challenging demographic splits, or any jurisdiction looking to implement new programs or improve on current practices. Change is difficult, but an effective outreach campaign can help overcome that challenge to drive behavior change. Hear from our successes and lessons learned throughout our Truckee roll-out to help improve your own outreach methods.