Collier County Solid Waste Management Department

1. School Beverage Container Recycling Challenge ProgramLessons Learned implementingthe Florida Innovative Grant funded program Collier County Solid Waste Management Department

2. Objective Bottles and Cans are not garbage anymore! • Increase school recycling • Save schools money • Saving landfill airspace. • Promote the culture of recycling with school children and employees. Public Utilities Division

3. American Beverage Association’s recycling advertising program Public Utilities Division

4. Don’t Lecture Me, Entertain Me Market testing revealed people do not respond well to guilt trips and lectures about the value of recycling. Public Utilities Division

5. Transformation of Recyclables People are fascinated with transformation. People are impressed with all the cool, useful items their recyclables can be made into. Public Utilities Division

6. A second chance at life This campaign has messages that demonstrate the results of recycling in ads and radio that people notice, enjoy and remember. Public Utilities Division

7. ‘Reincarnation’ Public Utilities Division

8. Grant Resources • Bottle shaped recycle bins • Radio ads and TV commercials • Recycling Program posters, video, brochures and Power Point • Traveling Trophies and certificates Public Utilities Division

9. School Beverage Container Recycling Challenge New recycling containers in schools serve as visual reminders to recycle. This is a Voluntary Program. Public Utilities Division

10. Recycle Challenge Elements • Recycling art contest • School vs. School recycling collection competition • Recycling TV commercials • Recycling Creative videos • Lip syncing recycling radio ads Public Utilities Division

11. Recycling Art Challenge Public Utilities Division

12. School vs. School Recycling competition Public Utilities Division

13. Recycling TV Commercials Public Utilities Division

14. Recycling Creative Video Public Utilities Division

15. Recycling Lip Sync Public Utilities Division

16. Bottle Shaped Recycling Bins • Large price break when ordering a truck load (260) 520 bins for $33,106, 330 for $21,645 • Attractive design may encourage theft • Attractive design supported by professional recycling TV commercials posters and program video • Recycling bin top is difficult to remove • No wheels on the base of bin Public Utilities Division

17. Dr. “Botella” & FDEP officer Public Utilities Division

18. Bottle Shaped Recycling Bins • Place bins near where students eat, not just by vending machines • 2/49 schools complained about bee problems during the winter. • Important to empty the bins weekly to avoid odor problems • Bring extra parts and make time to assemble bins on location Public Utilities Division

19. Disadvantages of Bottle shaped containers Public Utilities Division

20. Recyclingbin.com Corrugated Plastic cardboard Style recycling bins 330 for $20,106 Public Utilities Division

21. Canables 330 for $93,637 Public Utilities Division

22. Recy-cal 330 for $23,340 Public Utilities Division

23. Motivated Custodian staff Public Utilities Division

24. New Labels, old bins? New Labels may work on old recycling bins Public Utilities Division

25. Waste Audits • We sorted clean cardboard/paper and beverage containers in separate clear plastic bags • Approximately 50% to 65% of school trash was clean recyclables • Bring portable tables to sort trash • Start early as MSW is collected everyday at schools Public Utilities Division

26. School Waste Audits Public Utilities Division

27. School Waste Audits Public Utilities Division

28. Waste Audits • Photograph the plastic bags of sorted clean containers and mixed paper in front of the schools’ dumpster. • Many clean textbooks from classrooms and school libraries are thrown out at the end of the semester • Lockers are cleaned and party food in containers at end of the semester • On site Sheriff’s housing and day care centers may contaminate recycling containers Public Utilities Division

29. Difficulty in establishing base line recycling information • Plant Operators work for each Principal, not central administration • The Recycling hauler mixes school recycling collections with other commercial accounts • No variability with Recycling hauler’s pre challenge inventory • Front loader drivers don’t get out of trucks Public Utilities Division

30. Difficulty in establishing base line recycling information • Only 27/50 plant operators used the MSW/Recycling weekly inventory sheet • There is wide variation between the number of recycling bins and how recycling is collected by school • Wide variation between the amount of recyclable generated by school, well water, economics, grade level, Adult Ed Public Utilities Division

31. Delivering Bottle Shaped bins • Network as county staff delivers bins. • Perform waste/recycling audits • Start delivery early and finish by 1pm • Bring a GPS to map efficient routes • 12 bins per High School, 6 per Middle and 4 per Elementary are optimal Public Utilities Division

32. Waste/Recycling Audits Public Utilities Division

33. Waste/Recycling Audits Public Utilities Division

34. Delivering Bottle Shaped bins • Play the 4 minute Program DVD to the Plant Operator, Head Custodian and Cafeteria Manager and leave as a training tool • Record information on lap top between deliveries • Budget for requests for assistance • It’s most efficient to use a roll off truck container to deliver bins • Give the schools a few weeks to get used to the bins before you start the competition Public Utilities Division

35. Delivering Bottle Shaped bins • Just drive to the back cafeteria delivery door • Be prepared that many custodians and cafeteria workers may not speak English • Prepare for request for more 96-gallon mixed containers and/or paper recycling carts. • Take digital camera photos • ask about the school's recycling routine Public Utilities Division

36. Creating a contest DVD • Students are very busy, schedule in advance of Holiday and testing • Use close shots to avoid identifying schools • Elementary/middle school and a high school version • Not all Drama and TV production teachers work together Public Utilities Division

37. Creating a contest DVD Get parent’s permission to video tape students • Insert supporting documents into the video DVD • Use the school’s internal delivery system to save postage • Deliver materials in used county interoffice envelopes Public Utilities Division

38. Translating a contest DVD • Make several copies of the DVDs before you hand them out to the translators and superiors. • Have the translators working of the script immediately after script is approved by PMT. • You don’t have to translate word for word. • The MS Word translations were only about 80% accurate. • Creole and Spanish voice overs may be better for than written sub-titles Public Utilities Division

39. Promoting the Recycling Challenge • Many Principals too busy to watch the DVD and read the brochure • Start the recycling competition at beginning of school • Enlist School Program Administrative Assistance • Include a PowerPoint as some classrooms don’t have DVD readers Public Utilities Division

40. Promoting the Recycling Challenge • Make a DVD continuous loop version for playing at open houses, festivals, parks • Many teachers change schools each year • Find a recycling Champion for each school • Visit the Green Clubs, Drama & TV production classes. Public Utilities Division

41. Promoting the Recycling Challenge • Recruit Band Boosters to use recycling bins and make announcements • Make presentations to PTO • Run the PSAs on the Government and school channel • Urge Custodian and Cafeteria Managers to use Program DVD as a training video • Deliver recycling bins to Administration Bldg. Public Utilities Division

42. Recycling Drawing Contest Art Contest winners are featured in a Calendar, partnering with Keep America Beautiful. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/recycling/AR/2006/arcoordinators06.htm www.recycleitnow.nethttp://www.bottlesandcans.com/ Public Utilities Division

43. Art Contest Challenges • Select the best winners or one for each of 12 classes plus front & back of the calendar? • Select one winner per school? • Emphasize misspellings, non 8.5 x 11 page size non vibrant colors, repetition of themes, cursive not block letters, non horizontal art are disqualifications • Provide links to post recycled products Public Utilities Division

44. Large room needed for judging Public Utilities Division

45. Winners & Runners up featured during Earth Day event Public Utilities Division

46. School vs. School recycling collection competition • Each school Principal decides priorities of Plant Operator and school staff • Outgoing custodians and teachers can cajole students into recycling • Schools vary by 40% to 65% by on the amount of recyclables thrown away, economics and Principal’s priorities Public Utilities Division

47. Just leave containers on tables Public Utilities Division

48. School vs. School recycling collection competition • The recycling vendor’s recycling collection information was inconsistent • 17/49 schools submitted weekly recycling/solid waste inventory sheets. • Winners were selected based on submitted data, not level of recycling collection • Important to be ready to order more recycling collection carts for enthusiastic schools Public Utilities Division

49. Schools vary on recycling bins • 96 gallon carts for paper & comingled, metals trailers, paper roll offs, holes cut on lid of lined trash bins • Some schools only have a cafeteria container and cardboard recycling dumpster • Two new and one established school did not recycle but were charged Public Utilities Division

50. School TV Programs The school morning TV shows can feature the recycling commercials and contest information and introduce the bottle shaped containers. Public Utilities Division