:: Bin Buzz Fall 2006 ::

CVP unveils new English and Spanish radio PSA for communities

And the best part? It’s free! Always wanted a recycling PSA but don’t have the resources to develop a spot yourself? Well, look no further! We have developed a radio PSA about curbside recycling in English and Spanish. And, communities all over the country can localize it for free! In the spot, consumers are educated on the ease and importance of curbside recycling and are asked to go on-line to find out how they can participate locally.

Check out our Web site (www.RecycleCurbside.org) to listen to the spot and order a localized copy free of charge. You can easily add your phone number or Web site to the spot, thanks to our partnership with Earth 911.

We will also be unveiling the PSA at the NRC Congress. Stop by booth #300 to learn more!

The CVP Seeks Interested Community for Education Pilot

If you are...

A community that offers residential curbside recycling services.

About to begin procurement for a new contract or about to renew or renegotiate a contract.

A mid-size community (minimum of 50,000 households serviced by your program.)

Willing to work openly with solid waste/recycling management experts and communications con-sultants to shape your next contract.

The CVP is looking to work — at no cost to you — with a community that meets these criteria to help 1) improve cost-effectiveness of your current residential curbside program by refining your contract to ensure key drivers are included in the RFP, and 2) launch an education campaign with the goal of increasing localrecycling rates.

The goals of this partnership will be to:

Identify missed opportunities in your current recy-cling contracts.

Make or save more money from your recyclables collected.

Engage more residents in your curbside efforts.

Argue the case to your city fathers for increased funding for education in future years.

...then we want to hear from YOU!

A snapshot of curbside recycling BEST PRACTICES across the country

ARLINGTON COUNTY, VA Recognizing that a picture can often communicate a message faster than words, Arlington County's Department of Environmental Service's Solid Waste Bureau did a complete overhaul of their curbside communications materials, creating a new brochure and refrigerator magnet to help educate residents about their program. Rather than rely on a lot of copy, they used images to show what types of materials can be recycled. Important information such as how to order a bin and what household items can be recycled was included in both English and Spanish. Within three weeks after the brochure was mailed, the department experienced a 286 percent increase in bin requests!
Arlington Brochure

OMAHA, NE City officials recently unveiled their new education campaign, Recycling…It’s O! So Easy, at a press conference with the city’s mayor and a representative from the Curbside Value Partnership. The event kicked off a new campaign aimed at increasing participation in the city’s single-stream recycling program. As part of the effort, the city will place English and Spanish billboards on area roadways, engage Keep Omaha Beautiful to educate area school children, reach out to homeowner associations in key areas, educate the press on efforts, and mail relevant news and information to residents via their regular newsletter and a new postcard campaign. To date, the campaign has already led to a 35 percent increase in bin requests.

KANSAS CITY, MO A year ago, Kansas City partnered with the CVP to educate residents and target the city’s “urban core.” After conducting research, the city determined that direct mail, media relations and grassroots efforts such as working with schools and educating city influencers (church officials, business leaders, etc.) would bring the most success. And they were right! One year later, the results are clear. Recycling volume has increased by 36 percent, saving the city over $391,000 in waste disposal fees.

CHARLOTTE, NC In 2004, the city of Charlotte Solid Waste Services launched “Meta Un G-o-o-l Reciclando” (Score a Goal Recycling,) a six-month pilot campaign aimed at increasing recycling in one of Charlotte’s north zone communities, which has low recycling rates and is 80 percent Hispanic. After this pilot, and after seeing an increase of 12 percent in recycling rates, city officials are now planning to launch a new, city-wide campaign this year, with a focus on other Hispanic communities. The new campaign will continue their partnerships with third parties and, based on the 2004 campaign, will focus on recycling messaging and themes that came up as a top priority to the Hispanic community, including a clean environment, clean space for gathering and meeting, sanitation and healthcare. The new campaign will also address language and cultural barriers and look for ways to make it easier for residents in multi-family homes to recycle. For more information, visit http://scurbit.charmeck.org.

POLK COUNTY, FL recently conducted a six-week recycling incentive program. Each recycling day, the county recycling coordinator, also known as “the Recycle Man,” and his supervisor canvassed local communities with low recycling rates to encourage residents to recycle. For each bin they observed that was properly prepared, they awarded the resident with a $20 gift card to their local grocery store.
While full results are pending, the county did receive a notable increase in calls for bins as a result, and their MRF reported an increase in recycling volume.

What exactly is branding? Jargon aside…branding is really about creating an emotional connection to your organization and what your organization stands for. It goes beyond just a logo or tagline to encompass the feelings people have toward your organization.

So…what is the importance of a strong brand? Companies all over the world have spent millions of dollars to create a successful and recognizable brand. Why? Because people respond to brands they know and trust.

Examples of Strong Brands
Coca-Cola
Starbucks
Apple Computers
Harley Davidson
Ben & Jerry’s

How can you create a brand for your recycling campaign? The key to creating a strong brand is consistency and repetition.

Here are tangible ways to get started:

Form a branding committee. Since your brand is essentially the personality behind your organization, it is important to get your staff involved. You want those within your organization to believe and stand behind your brand. This will give everyone a role to play and will ensure you have buy-in for your brand moving forward.

Develop a plan for where you want your program to be in 12 months, 24 months, etc., and use this as the basis for your brand and messages. For example, if your goal centers on increasing participation, focus many of your themes and possibly your logo and tag line around “getting a bin.”

Solicit outsider feedback. Ask residents to review your materials and give you an honest evaluation. Are your materials consistent? Can the person identify your tag line? Can they tell the materials are all coming from the same organization?

Create a logo (see “Logo a Go-Go” on page 5) for your recycling program.

Develop a tag line such as “Recycling…easier than you think” and use it everywhere.

Consider having a jingle or a recycling mascot tied into your brand that provides residents with a more emotional connection than just words.

Tie in efforts with your customer service staff. Train them on your key messages so your organization is communicating consistently.

Repeat your key messages in all of your materials (see “Key Messages and You” on page 6.)

And finally, give your materials a consistent look and feel.

The repetition of your logo, materials, key messages and visible symbols will create lasting reminders for citizens to recycle. They may ignore it the first time, and glance over it the second time, but after the third, fourth and fifth times it begins to make an impact.

Some companies have branded their product or service so successfully that, when you see heir typeface, or even brand colors, you automatically make the connection without having to see their logo or read their name. You can do that in your community. Just give it a try.

Source: Cairril.com Design & Marketing. Branding 101: A Primer for Businesses. 10 Jan. 2005. 14 Aug. 2006. http://www.bloomington.in.us/~cairril/articles/branding101.html

A Real-World Example of How the City of Denver Developed and Carried Out Their New Brand

When the city of Denver launched their single-stream recycling program, not only did they want to publicize the new method, but they wanted residents to know that recycling was being made even easier as a result.

They knew they needed something new and different. So they partnered with a local design firm to develop and implement a new brand for their new program.

Branding Step 2

Developed a radio and TV PSA.

Updated their Web site.

Placed small print ads in local community papers.

Participated in local community events and presented to neighborhood groups.

Distributed direct mail materials including a newsletter, postcard and refrigerator magnet, among others.

Partnered with the Coca-Cola corporation to post in-store reminders about recycling.

The campaign received such overwhelming response from residents that the city’s mayor has given the green light to speed up delivery of new 65-gallon carts to residents, a process that was originally expected to take five years. But even more important, the city to date has seen a 24 percent increase in recycling tonnage over the previous dual-stream system. Additionally, 9,000 new residents have signed up for curbside service since the new program was unveiled.

Define yourself. Think of exactly what you want to portray to your community. You are not just pushing recycling, but how good it feels to recycle, how easy it is, etc.

You can be creative with your use of color to further your brand. Here are some fun insights on the meaning behind some of our favorite colors.

WHITE: Light, goodness, innocence and purity. Considered to be the color of perfection and is associated with coolness and cleanliness.

Black: Power, elegance, formality, evil and mystery. Gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability.

Red: The color of fire and blood. It is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power and determination, as well as passion, desire and love. Brings text and images to the foreground. Often is used as an accent color.

Yellow: The color of sunshine. It is associated with joy, happiness, intellect and energy. Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings.

Orange: Combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine and the tropics, and often represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement and stimulation.

Green: The color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.

Blue: The color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability, and symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, heaven.

Purple: Combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It also symbolizes power, nobility, luxury and ambition, and conveys wealth and extravagance. Surveys say that the majority of pre-adolescents prefer it over all colors.

Logo-A-Gogo
Logos give your materials a consistent look and enhance your communications efforts by visually reinforcing your brand.

Getting started:
Contact a local design shop or art student to design a logo for you. A basic logo can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or more. Depending on your budget, find a vendor and a price that is right for you. Those who are more artistically inclined can try creating their own logo using clip art. If you are a non-profit, a designer may discount their rates for you or even do it pro bono.

Things to consider:

How will this logo work with the city/county logo?
Is the logo kid-friendly without excluding adults?
Does this logo talk about recycling?
Is this logo noticeable from far away?
Does this logo reinforce my key messages?

Design basics — do’s and don’ts:
Do: Tell your designer exactly what you want and need from the logo.

Don't: Be afraid to tell your designer you don’t like what they sent. After all, they work for you.
Do: Have your designer send you the logo in black and white first so you are not biased by color options.
Don't: Choose a logo that requires color to make sense.
Do: Make your logo neat and compact.
Don't: Have a logo that is too wide or too tall to fit in tight spaces.

Communicating with color:
After you’ve found a design you like, have the designer add color. Choose coloring that is right for your community. Just because you run a recycling program doesn’t mean your logo has to be green, although that is what works for some communities. Remember to make sure that the color you choose looks the same on the computer screen as it does printed on paper. Does your city office have a look and feel that residents recognize and, if so, can you piggyback off of that idea?

Using your logo:
Once you finalize your logo design, use it on all of your materials. You can place the logo on brochures, FAQs, Web sites, mailings, posters, billboards and other mediums. This will help you create brand awareness, and when people see the logo, they will think “recycling!”

Examples of logos can be found at our Web site at www.RecycleCurbside.org.

Do's & Don'ts
We all do it. We make common mistakes when trying to communicate an important message to the Spanish-speaking segment of our population. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you better communicate your brand to this important audience.
DO...

Reach out to Hispanic community leaders. They will be able to reach the Hispanic audience better and give more credibility to your messages.

Target the correct TV stations, radio stations and newspapers that are actually watched, listened to and read by your audience. These may not all be main-stream outlets.

Use a professional translator or someone who speaks Spanish as their first language. They can translate your messaging perfectly. Also, if a word or phrase does not translate easily, they can talk with you about different alternatives.

Research your audience. Although the Hispanic population speaks Spanish, there are different dialects and slang used depending on the country you are from. Someone from Mexico has different slang words and phrases to describe the temperature than someone from Puerto Rico, for example.

DON'T...

Just translate material literally from English into Spanish. Many words like “recycling” do not translate exactly the same. You will need someone who is aware of these subtleties to help you.

Assume that they don’t want to know about your program. Don’t leave them out of your efforts just because they speak another language.

Use an Internet translation site. In most cases, these sites are not reliable and often misinterpret the message you are trying to convey.

Think in stereotypes. We all tend to have pre-conceived notions when speaking to people outside of our personal circle.

Assume someone does not speak or understand English just because they also speak Spanish.

Got any do’s and don’ts to share? E-mail us at info@RecycleCurbside.org.

“Key messages” is one of those public relations terms that gets thrown around all the time, but what does it mean? And why are they so important?

Key messages defined:
A key message is simply an essential piece of information about your program that you\ want to convey to your target audiences. If you had a chance to get three sentences broadcast to every single member of your community, what would they be? What do you want to say? And what are your proof points?

Why you need key messages:
Often, several people communicate to the public about your curbside recycling program. And when asked, they may give varying answers, from what materials are accepted to how the program works, leaving residents confused. Develop your key messages as a team and make sure everyone understands them and is comfortable conveying them publicly

Here are some basic guidelines for what your key messages should include:

Program basics: Who is eligible for curbside? Where can you get a bin and how much does it cost? What materials do you accept? How often is your pickup? How can residents sign up? Whom do they call with questions? A “how to get a bin” message is crucial. The main reason people don’t participate is they don’t have a bin and don’t even know where to get one. If bins are free, say so! If they are delivered in a week, say so!

Recycling is good for your community: Emphasize the “why” to your residents. Even though recycling is convenient and the right thing to do, some people may need more convincing. Show how it is good for the environment and, if possible, show how it is good for the city’s bottom line.

Develop local factoids about recycling and about how materials are recycled. Does the city save money on landfill tipping fees by recycling? What about recycling offsetting rising energy costs?

Recycling is easy: Show that it is easy. If you have a single- stream program, emphasize that “no sorting” is required. If pickup is the same day as trash to avoid confusion, say so. Make the program as appealing as possible by emphasizing that it is an easy and convenient way for residents to participate in everyday environmentalism.

Getting your messages down on paper:

Make a “Key Messages” document and circulate it among your staff.

Repeat your key messages often.

Check out our Web site (www.RecycleCurbside.org) for examples of messaging documents and factoids used by your peers.

Ask any community, and they’ll tell you their procurement and contracting process could be streamlined. A well-written contract can make or break a program, so we asked Frank Bernheisel, Vice President of Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc., a Virginia-based management consulting firm specializing in solid waste issues, for some insights into how you can make this process a bit easier and more effective.

Q: What would you say is the average length of time a municipality should spend preparing an RFP document for residential recycling services?

A: This depends on many factors such as community size, the complexity of services requested and internal decision making procedures. On a general level and assuming no new equipment or facilities are required, a year is reasonable. (Three months to prepare the RFP, 60 to 90 days for responses, and one to three months to evaluate the responses, finalize negations and make a decision. Then three months to prepare for implementation.)

Q: What do you see as the biggest mistakes municipal officials make when it comes to their residential recycling contracts?

A: The biggest flaw seen is the disconnect between policy and implementation. After a policy is enacted, there has to be follow-through. Staff and other resources need to be allocated in order to implement policy. When municipalities skimp on implementation resources, mistakes are made. For example, the price for materials is not tied to an index, and the municipality loses out on the rising prices. Additionally, another common mistake is shortchanging education. Education is the key ingredient to making recycling happen.

After a Policy is Enacted...

Q: Is there an “ideal” contract length for residential recycling?

A: Any contract that requires equipment or facilities should be long enough so that the capital investment can be recovered through the appropriate annualized cost formula. Without a capital investment requirement, 3 to 5 years works well and a series of one year extensions at the community’s option is good. The procurement process costs money for the community and the private firms that propose, therefore we generally favor longer contracts with provisions to protect the community’s interests.

Q: If you could give a municipal official one piece of advice when it comes to the RFP process for residential recycling and negotiating a smart contract, what would it be?

A: To make sure the community has knowledgeantract and to negotiate the resulting agreement. These individuals can be members of the staff or consultants. It is also important to stay current with the technologies, the services market able people to prepare the RFP and cond the commodities market.

Q: Do you think most municipalities should participate in revenue sharing with their MRF?

A: We at GBB tend to favor contracts with a floor price for each commodity and a floating price increment that is tied to a well-respected index published by a reliable source. American Metals Market is one such source.

Contract design is an often overlooked yet critical step to insuring your program continues to successfully grow participation and recycling volume. Many communities simply do not take the time to re-think options when contracts are up for bid or renewal. CVP encourages you to think carefully next time, talk to your peers in other communities about what they did and the types of incentives, revenue share, etc. they built in and how well they did or didn’t work. Your program will thank you.

>> For any questions on this article, please email info@RecycleCurbside.org. CVP Snapshot