Downtown Recycling: Consensus Building & Behavior Change Case study of innovative program focusing on main themes for today: -upstream, downstream, & consumption---recycling, food waste recycling, and waste reduction -developing a zero waste plan---informal way to reach 0 waste -incentives;---more of disincentive -began in April 2008, before very tough economic times hit---able to continue with this because of the careful planning involved -measuring success---data gathering and reporting Rachael Budowle Community Programs Coordinator Office of Waste Reduction & Recycling Virginia Recycling Association Conference May 6, 2009

Blacksburg Southwest Virginia Virginia Tech Curbside collection for single family homes MRSWA -size, population -college town, effective partnerships with Virginia Tech and particular departments/centers for programs -curbside collection for refuse & recycling, once a week, for all single family homes -embedded recycling fee, flat rate user fee -don’t have own fleet, currently contract with WM—manual recycling, auto trash -all materials go to MRSWA…very effective partnership, recently began accepting dual stream recycling including mixed paper

Community Programs Schools Apartments Fluorescent Lamps Reusable Bags Organics Recycling Businesses Downtown Recycling Intro that beyond that residential program (only way to reach zero waste), other programs are focused on outreach and doing very things that are highlighted here (convincing senior management and others---decision makers), measuring and reporting on programs, incentives, education, upstream and downstream programs Run through each briefly with emphasis on Downtown Recycling as focus of talk

Sustainable Blacksburg Community Partnership Sustainability Week Focused projects Downtown Recycling & Refuse Program -SB catalyst behind DTR -click link (notice full recommendations online) -formed with EPA grant, now non-profit organization---involvement of VT, Town, business, and citizens -main focus has been Sustainability Week -now as a non-profit, beginning to take on focused projects in community---first is Downtown Recycling & Refuse Program

Downtown Recycling & Refuse Plan Sustainable Blacksburg led initiative Study group formed SB members, solid waste professionals, citizens, merchants Core group Steps to recommendation: Map Survey Interviews with solid waste professionals in similar communities -though we are involved in the project, this was something SB proposed and initiated. First task was to form a Downtown Recycling Study group consisting of SB members, town solid was professionals, citizens, and most importantly---merchants in the downtown. This is very helpful when convincing senior management (another focus of this workshop)—merchants association and town council---buy in is largely already there. -from the very beginning, all relevant stakeholders were at the table, and no set plan was devised---everyone discussed problems and potential for an organized recycling program downtown -small core group of SB & town employees working on nuts and bolts in between larger group meetings---this model is already being used to address other sustainability issues! -low cost way to address an issue that we have wanted to address for a long time

Field audit of all businesses---categorized by type to determine what kind of waste materials generated Helped us conceptualize locations for potential planning of a hauling route

Survey & Interviews Effective partnership with Center for Applied Behavior Systems at Virginia Tech ~100 businesses approached, 68 responded Very few recycling; 25% or less for most materials, though significantly more for cardboard Variety of methods for refuse management 47% offered recommendations for recycling downtown; 91% of those supportive of a uniform, Town-managed program Interviewed Charlottesville, Roanoke, Raleigh, & Orange Co., NC -in person survey, students were well-trained research assistants---important for us to do accurate data gathering, first step in successful measure and reporting of the program (other volunteers helped with this, so it is possible to do these kinds of surveys without the university partnership) -describe survey: methods of recycling/refuse management, haulers, receptacles used, cost, frequency, indoor and outdoor space available -cardboard 57% Thoughts confirmed that recycling is minimal, refuse management disorganized, and that merchants were eager to address---need data! Don’t make assumptions and report---confirm assumptions -only include one line here, but interviews with solid waste professionals in other similar communities were incredibly important! So thanks to any of you here who were a part of that. In depth questions about how programs are managed (fee structure, manual vs. automatic pickup, receptacle type, frequency and time of collection, feedback, etc.) -other are making this work/have advice—don’t reinvent the wheel! Could pick and choose what from these might work well in Blacksburg

Reporting: Recommendations Establish mandatory, uniform recycling and refuse program for all downtown businesses Town-managed Curbside (front or back door/alley collection) Pay As You Throw for refuse Supplemental recommendations Pedestrian recycling receptacles Food waste diversion Later expansion to all businesses Reported to: Downtown Recycling Study Group Sustainable Blacksburg Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg Blacksburg Town Council PAYT one of the most important aspects of the plan Approved across the board! Encouragement from town council to recommend specific operational components of plan

Pay As You Throw + - Disincentive for refuse Weight vs. Volume Refer to EPA’s website as resource -not actually an incentive, but ERB based on consequences---disincentive for trash disposal (indirect incentive to recycle) -will address reduction in next slide + - Decreased refuse tonnage Increased recycling tonnage/diversion rate Economic sustainability Equity If properly structured, can encourage source reduction as well Reflects “true” costs of refuse Can be politically unpopular Encourages illegal dumping May not encourage source reduction Weight technology costly

Implementation Plan Material & container type Collection and storage location Collection frequency Collection time PAYT fee structure integral to plan Volume Plan that simultaneously encourages increased recycling and waste reduction (diversion rate) -put everything to work that we’ve learned—value of measurement and reporting -MP, Commingles, Organics -things that are amenable to businesses and pedestrians alike, well organized to manage -why volume instead of weight -review plan A, B, C (C is most common) -fee structure to support source reduction

Thank You! Rachael Budowle rbudowle@blacksburg.gov (540) 961-1806 www.blacksburg.gov/recycling -put everything to work that we’ve learned—value of measurement and reporting -MP, Commingles, Organics -things that are amenable to businesses and pedestrians alike, well organized to manage -why volume instead of weight -review plan A, B, C (C is most common) - Why volume as opposed to weight