2005 Recycling Pilot Program Report

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Roseville has not made any changes to the two-sort collection system since its inception in January 1999. However, callers say they are not sure of what to recycle because of conflicting messages they have heard over the past 17 years the City has operated the program. There have been four major changes in eiiher the pickup schedule or adding material that was previously excluded. Roseville resident are not alone in their uncertainty. A survey by the CiEy of Eagan found 37°/a of residents who threw recyclable paper in their trash did so because they were "unsure what io recycle." The report "Improving Recyclzng of Residential Paper in Minnesota" from the Recycling Association of Minnesota found that clear and consistent education improved the amount of paper that was collected in curbside recycling programs. Eagan was one of the cities in the study. It increased paper col.lection by 28%. Another city in the study, St. Pau1, projected it could collect 41.4% more paper increasing their overall recycling tonnage collected by 4.4% just through increased education. 5oc'ral Marketing Roseville built on themes from previous studies and residents' needs stated in the 2002 survey to develop new educational material crafted by a Barb Keith, a graphic design student at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (http://www.barbarakeithdesif�ns.com/index.htm). The p�an was to present staid information in a more stylish and captivating manner. The education pieces were an attempt to re-craft the recycling message using social marketing. Social marketing is the planning and implementation of programs designed to bring about social change using cancepts from comm�rcial marketing. Figure Four Recycling leaders are exploring so- Recycling Poster called social markeiing to shift the Califocnia Department of Conservation way fiheir p;rog�rams appeal to residents and gain participation. ' - - � � � ' ' �� + " � -- � "-� Instead of simply conveyir�g ulformation, the thought is to create a perception in residents that recycliz�g is fun, exciiing and an appealing part of their lives. For instance, the California Departrnent of Conservation has launched a caanpaign to increase :�. ��-�W _ the amount of bottles and cans that �� . get recycled . : � . . _ ` (hrip://www.bottlesandcans.com ). _ _ , _ According to Departmeni Director Dariyl Young the ads aim to rnake Californians think recycling is cool. And since being cool is important to Californians the hope is the ads will make more residents recycle. In addition to posters Iike the one above, they've created a number of television PSAs narrated by a bottle or can that is enthused by being recycled into its drearn product. For instance a plastic water bottle becomes a lifeguard buoy carried under the arm of a fit and attractive lifeguard. 7