Project
Description
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The Community-Based Recycling Outreach Partnership Project was
designed to implement and evaluate outreach
techniques based on principles of social
marketing and pro-social behavior to increase
recycling participation among identified
“non-recyclers”. Clear View
Consulting was hired for this project, which
began in Spring 2002 and was completed August
2003. |
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A sample of 567 "non-recycler" households
was identified and each building was randomly
assigned to one of four outreach methods: phone,
door-to-door, mailed brochure and a control group.
Outreach activities to non-recyclers were conducted
through a partnership with two local charitable
groups, East Cambridge Little League and Summerbridge
Cambridge. The charitable partners earned money
for their outreach efforts and will receive additional
payments in direct proportion to the amount recycled
by the households contacted.
Both groups asked the “non-recycler”
households to make a commitment to recycle. Those
that did, were asked to fill out a commitment
card stating which recyclables they planned to
recycle and were given the option to have their
name appear in the local newspaper as a supporter
of the charity and this project. Eleven residents
chose to be recognized in this way and the names
appeared in the Cambridge Chronicle in August.
Recycling participation and behavior was monitored
three months after the initial outreach and will
be again one year after the initial outreach.
In the course of monitoring, field staff note
the total number of recycling set outs for each
building, the weight of the recycling set outs
and which specific units are recycling.
By quantifying the impact of various outreach
techniques, this project will help identify the
most effective method to increase residential
recycling participation, thereby increasing the
City’s recycling rate and decreasing waste
disposed.
Project Goals
The goal of the project is to implement and evaluate
outreach techniques designed using
principles of social marketing. Through direct
outreach to “non-recyclers”, the Project
will provide answers to the following questions
about what type of outreach techniques are effective
and why:
- Are non-recyclers receiving a direct appeal
to recycle, coupled with an opportunity to support
a charitable group more likely to begin recycling
than non-recycles who receive only a flyer (or
no contact at all)?
- Is there a correlation between a particular
outreach mechanism, and observed recycling behavior?
- What is the average annual recycling tonnage
for new recyclers?
- What is the “drop-out” rate among
households who initially commit to recycling?
After 3 months? One year?
- What % of non-recyclers giving a written
commitment to recycle is observed to be recycling
one year later?
- What % of non-recyclers receiving only a
recycling brochure become habitual recyclers?
- What % of non-recyclers are we able to contact
by phone to deliver an appeal to recycle?
- What % of non-recycles are we able to contact
in person to deliver an appeal to recycle?
Final Report
and Attachments
A.
Final Results Report (CVC) click
here
Final
Report
Attachments |
1.
Follow-Up Analysis after “12-month”
Monitoring, Detail of “Dropped”
Buildings click
here |
| 2. Follow-Up Analysis after
“12-Month” Monitoring, Assessment
of “Before” Participation click
here |
| 3. Summary of Results from
12-Month Follow-up Monitoring click
here |
| 4. “3-Month” Monitoring
Results from 12-month, (Revised to Reflect
“Dropped” Households) click
here |
| 5. Revised Summary of Results
from 12-Month Follow-Up Monitoring click
here |
| 6. Worksheet for Evaluating
“12-Month” Monitoring Results
click
here |
7. Key Groups: 12-Month vs.
3-Month vs. “Before”
Door
Group: 12-Month vs. 3-Month vs. “Before”
Phone Group: 12-Month
vs. 3-Month vs. “Before” click
here |
| 8. Set-Out Weight Data for
Committer Households click
here |
| 9. Distribution of Average
Set-0ut Weights Among “Committer”
Households click
here |
10. Development of Estimated
Annual Tonnage from New Recyclers, (results
from “3-month” monitoring)
Development
of Estimated Annual Tonnage from New Recyclers,
(results from “12-month” monitoring)
click
here |
B. Statistical Analysis (CVC) click
here
C.
Lessons Learned - Methodology Suggestions
for Future Work (CVC)
click
here
D.
12-Month Status Report (CVC) click
here
12
Month
Report
Attachments |
1.
12-Month Follow-Up Monitoring: Coverage Plan
as Completed
click here |
| 2. “Early/Late”
Monitoring Results-12-Month Phase (4 Pages)
click
here |
| 3. Revised Summary of Results
from 3-Month Follow-up monitoring click
here |
4. Distribution of Set-Out
Weights for all set outs in 12-month sample
Set-out Weight Distribution,
Comparison of East & West Monitoring Routes
Set-out Weight
Distribution, Comparison of Estimating &
Weighing Results click
here |
| 5. Buildings That May Need
to be Dropped From Study click
here |
| 6. Summary of Building Results.
12-Month Monitoring (used to look for possible
“false positives”, other patterns,
5 pages) click
here |
E. 3-Month Status Report
(CVC) - not
available, please see 12-Month Stat
P. Lotus Approach Database Main Form 12-month,
3-month,
original
Q. Worksheet for Estimating Weights of Recycling
Setouts (CVC) click
here
R. Worksheet for Weighing Results of Recycling
Setouts (CVC) click
here
S. Instruction for Field Assistants (CVC) click
here
T. 8/28/02 Cambridge Chronicle Recognition Advertisement click
here
U. East Route Monitoring Map click
here
V. West Route Monitoring Map click
here
W. Guide to Estimating Numbers and Weights of
Recycling Setouts in Dense Neighborhoods (CVC) click
here
X. Field Summary Sheet click
here
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