Taking on the #3-#7
Plastics Challenge
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About ReCommunity
A recycling coordinator’s dream
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Plastic by the people
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Attitudes about recycling
“I want to recycle _X_, why can’t you take it?”
“I don’t see why you can’t recycle _X_.”
“When are you going to recycle _X__.”
“I think _X__ should be recycled, so I’m going to
recycle it even though I’m not sure.”
“They’ll just sort it out if I put in something wrong.”
“We aren’t recycling ALL THE PLASTIC we could.”
“More, more, more!”
Real talk
“I DONT KNOW WHAT PLASTICS # 1-7 MEAN”
“I can't “I recall the numbers on plastic containers usually I check before recycling.”
“I continue to have problems deciding what plastic items are recyclable.”
“I'VE READ THAT THE PLASTIC #S ARE MOSTLY MEANINGLESS SO I TRY TO USE
COMMON SENSE.”
“CAN WE RECYCLE 3-7 PLASTICS? THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!”
“IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF THE NUMBERED TRIANGLE IS MUCH LARGER
ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER PEOPLE. “
“*PLASTICS #3-7 (What does that mean?)”
“Please expand it to include 3-7 and all non-toxic plastics. We throw away more plastic
than we have to.”
“I'M NOT ALWAYS SURE WHAT PLASTICS ARE ACCEPTABLE AND HOW CLEAN THEY
NEED TO BE”
“Please expand it to include 3-7 and all non-toxic plastics. We throw away more plastic than
we have to.”
“THE COKE {Give It Back} PROMOTION & MY MOTHER-IN-LAW CONFUSED ME ABOUT
PLASTICS # 3-7.”
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C Average
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C Average
Material Cardboard Glass Bo>les Percent Percent Correct 95.56% 94.60% Grade 95.56% 94.60% Number A A 8,062 7,981 Newspaper, Magazines, Catalogs Aluminum Cans 94.54% 93.23% 94.54% 93.23% A A 7,976 7,866 Chipboard (Cereal Boxes, etc) 86.57% 86.57% B 7,304 Office and School Paper, Junk Mail Steel/ Tin Cans 80.61% 78.61% 80.61% 78.61% C C 6,801 6,632 Milk & Juice Cartons PlasUcs #3-­‐7 PlasUcs #1-­‐2 Pizza Boxes 75.23% 72.73% 63.59% 59.94% 75.23% 72.73% 63.59% 59.94% C D F F 6,347 6,136 5,365 5,057 Aluminum Foil & Pie Pans 52.93% 52.93% F 4,466 Aerosol Cans (empty) PlasUc Bags 45.41% 26.11% 45.41% 73.89% F D 3,831 2,203 Paper Towels, Tissues Styrofoam 25.02% 20.23% 74.98% 79.77% C C 2,111 1,707 8.92% 4.39% 3.54% 3.12% 1.26% 91.08% 95.61% 96.46% 96.88% 98.74% B A A A A 753 370 299 263 106 81.00% C Empty Motor Oil Bo>les Yard Waste Tires, Rubber Clothes Food Waste OVERALL 8
Confidence
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Understanding the recycler
The average recycler
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Does not have an MPA, MBA, a degree in Chemistry, a
Professional Engineering License or Recycling
Coordinator on their resume
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Average person who participates in recycling believes in
it without perhaps truly understanding it
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Messaging challenges
What’s wrong with the #1-#7 Message?
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Except for…We don’t REALLY mean that
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Bags and film
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What number? What about #8 and #9? What’s wrong with the All Plastic Containers message?
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Except for…We don’t REALLY mean that
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Number indoctrination of the past 30 years
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What’s a container? Is a bag a container? A Styrofoam take
out box? Where does it end?
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Focus on doing better
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Survey your community, because they’re all different
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Understand that people receive messages differently and at different
times
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Focus on simplicity, effective delivery and consistency
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Focus on what people need to know, not what we think they need to
know
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Sacrifice accuracy for the sake of simplicity
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Community focus groups to drive messaging
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Service Education and Maintenance
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Thank You
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