1. Multi-Residential Lessons Learned: Communications & Engagement
Charlotte Ueta
Manager (A) Waste Management Planning
City of Toronto
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

2. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Project Highlights
Evaluated different communication and engagement methods in multi-residential buildings to improve diversion and reduce contamination
Monitored success with waste audits and surveys
Project was funded by the Continuous Improvement Fund
We are also undertaking a multi-residential bin investigation project to address contamination where bins are being flagged and collected and billed as garbage
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

3. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Multi-Residential Statistics
4,200 Buildings (406,000 units)
Diversion rate 28%
Capture rates low
Contamination rates high
System-wide contamination at 25%-30%
Costs +$4M, Revenue -$5.2M
45%
55%
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

4. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Ongoing Communication and
Engagement
Recycle Right Campaign
Waste Wizard Promotion
Multi-residential workshops
3Rs Ambassador Program
Calendar
Direct Mails
Customer Service Group
Recycle Right:
Digital ads
TV spots
Cineplex movie theatre ads
Newspaper ads
Transit shelters
Social media
Direct mail with accompanying letter to all SF and MF households
Contamination letter to PMs and owners
Customer Service Group
Inspect MR recycling bins
Deliver presentations to building residents and schools (449 in 2016, 175 in 2017)
Staff lobby displays
Site visits to advise on best set out options
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

5. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Test Scenarios
Community Group volunteers undertook monthly activities, such as:
- Holiday recycling – sorting activity – 28 residents
Compost interactive activity – 29 residents
Children’s event – colouring and bingo
Waste diversion guessing game – 43 residents
HHW awareness workshop – 27
Recycle Arts & Crafts workshop – 33 residents
Movie night followed by trivia – 27 residents
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

6. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Building Selection – 20 Sites
Toronto has a chute closure policy which allows building owners and property managers to close their chutes as part of a diversion improvement program, if they are eligible and meet certain criteria.
Garbage disposal then becomes as inconvenient as recycling and thereby provides a level playing field for diversion
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

7. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Project Steps
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

8. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Focus Group Findings
Residents were aware of the green bin program by seeing posters in their buildings and some were aware of the program from living in single family houses in the past
There was a high level of awareness of the program and participants did not feel there was a need for a name change
Such a move would create confusion
“Green Bin” meant composting of “food” and “kitchen waste,” no need for name change
Residents were shown some photos of different types of engagement such as: lobby displays, posters and stickers, bulletin boards, activities (kids playing a recycling game), calendar and waste wizard
Financial incentives came up as part of the discussion since one participant talked about a letter their condo had received from the City. Another resident also mentioned that his Coop had received a similar letter.
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

9. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Alternate Service Delivery Model
Government decides and provides services
Osborne and Gaebler’s – steering and rowing
Government steers, anyone can row
Inter-divisional cooperation
Community-based partnerships and implementation
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

10. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Community Partners
Worked with non-profit community based agencies that deliver a variety of programs and services
Assessed community-based approach to improving waste diversion
Lead Community Organizations worked tasked with facilitating a Resident/Tenant Group to promote waste reduction and diversion
Used the City’s newly developed Tenant Engagement Guide
SWMS staff provided training to the Lead Community Organizations
SWMS provided education materials
Resident Groups undertook monthly activities/events to educate residents on waste reduction
Funding in the amount of $5000 per building plus 20% administrative fee for the Lead Community Organization
Lead Community Group to monitor and track project
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

11. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Community Partners - Findings
Finding the right buildings
Getting agreements to participate
Recycling is low on the list of priorities in some buildings – you need to be aware of the state of the building (re: performance)
Delays due to personality conflicts (condo board vs. community group volunteers)
PMs question giving authority to Ipsos for entering buildings
Challenging buildings
Getting timely information from community groups
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

12. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
New Promotion and Education
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

13. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Recycle Coach - Results
Average score on recycling assessment 77.5%
Top 5 incorrect items: aerosol can, coat hanger, pill blister packs, metal paint cans, photographs
Working with Recycle Coach allowed us to test the effectiveness of an on-line learning platform and provided us with information on which method of communication worked best
Recycle Coach learned quite a bit about their product, the users, and how to make changes to better address the issues of diversion and contamination for customers –
Lack incentive to overcome sign up/retention barrier
Lacks long term incentive
Mobile strategy would drive higher usage
Need to increase incentive for completing content, remove barriers for completing lessons
Only 31% of users completed assessment
Those that completed assessment scored an average of 77.5%
14% signed up to the recycle academy
21% of those who signed up completed lessons
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

14. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Waste Audit Results
Community group and engagement buildings are all tower renewal program sites which are in neighbourhood revitalization areas
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

15. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Waste Audit Results
4 SEASON AUDIT RESULTS… one audit left to complete
Rental buildings regardless of bin set-up appear to have the lowest diversion rates and highest contamination rates
Generally speaking, the lowest performing (least amt of diversion) buildings also generated the highest amounts of waste per unit
Public housing sites were not included in this study and they are most likely the most challenging sites to manage waste in
Chute closure buildings – garbage is as inconvenient as recycling – better participation in diversion programs
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

16. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Qualitative Research
Survey Results – Program Awareness
Compared to the pre-pilot surveys, only one quarter of residents felt the amount of information about recycling in their buildings improved
Despite seeing an improvement in information, fewer residents recall seeing information about recycling
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

17. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Qualitative Research
Survey Results – Program Participation
Residents indicate: recycling more
Residents in Tenant Engagement Strategy likely to mention: recycling more
Residents in other groups: mention recycling more in post-wave, however these differences not statistically significant.
Compared to the pre-pilot surveys, residents say they are recycling more, with the greatest shift seen in the Tenant Engagement Strategy group
Young adults recycle all items less frequently
Women are more likely to recycle all items
Home owners (condo vs. rental) are more likely to be satisfied with their recycling facilities compared to renters
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

18. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Qualitative Research
Survey Results – Information Source
This data corroborates our findings from the focus group research we did at the beginning of the project
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

19. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Project Learnings
Project achievement
Preliminary audit data indicates small improvements in some buildings
Useful insights on types of communication and methods of delivery/impact drops off with time
Is this approach a better or best practice?
Based on effort to implement and monitor, minimal impact observed; recall of education tactics poor
Ongoing education efforts key component to improve diversion and addressing contamination
Addressing contamination issues in “tag and leave behind” project; will consolidate insights
P&E must be ongoing/forever, impact of communication drops with time
P&E alone – does not get the message out/not moving the dial
It is hard to get results in the multi-res sector
During the project in the second wave of Ipsos surveys a resident called in to say that the work we were doing on raising awareness on recycling was like “putting a band-aid on a paper cut when there was internal hemorrhaging going on in the building.”
There are so many issues that residents were unhappy with in some of the buildings (repairs to laundry room, security, landscaping, cleanliness) that recycling was a low concern
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20. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Project Learnings
Advice
Ongoing P&E that incorporates project insights to achieve behaviour change
Low diversion rates at rental buildings and persistent contamination issues at other properties may provide business case for mixed waste processing at some sites
Final Report: Available December 2018
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018

21. MWA Spring Workshop May 2018
Charlotte Ueta
Manager (A) Waste Management Planning
MWA Spring Workshop May 2018