Events and Using Recycle Containers

Whether you are organizing a modest gathering or a sporting event attracting tens of thousands of participants, a conference, a bike race, a music festival, a dance performance, a wedding reception, or a hometown parade, The Monterey Peninsula, known for special events, has produced a guide that has been carefully crafted to help you deliver a world class recycling and waste reduction program for your event:

Recycling is Easy. We’ll show you how. http://www.mrwmd.org/pdf/SpecialEventRecyclingGuide.pdf

Tips to get people to use recycling containers.

Use the Buddy System! Pair your Bins!  Whenever the recycle containers are buddied with a trash container, people appear to do the right thing and there is almost zero contamination in the recycling bin and very little recyclables make it in the trash. However, when the containers are only 6 feet apart, people didn’t bother to look around, they trashed what ever they have, recycling bin or not.  Lone bins of either type are bound to attract the wrong material.

Labeling is Essential! Education is essential in motivating consumers to recycle. Easily accessible recycling bins and clear signage “in multiple languages, as necessary” help ensure the success of recycling program.  Be sure to label your recycling container as “Recycling,” and include the standard chasing arrows or recycling symbol. Clearly display what is considered acceptable recycled items…glass? plastic? metal? paper? . (little kids can recycle but might not be able to read) If you have more trash cans than recycling bins, have a sign directing people to a recycling container.

Put a lid on i! Although it may seem unnecessary, placing a lid on your recycling container provides another key visual cue for the public to easily recognize the recycling container. Be sure the hole in the lid is small enough to provide this recycling visual cue to deter trash contamination, but big enough that it does not exclude common recyclables used at your event.

Advertise Recycling Targets!  Advertise the location of recycling bins and the importance of using with signage or over the loudspeaker. Mention recycling in advertisements for the event.

Remember to say Thank You !  Thank people for helping to keep waste to minimum. Adopt these tips and it will go a long way towards a very successful recycling program.

Recycling is Easy. We’ll show you how.

http://www.mrwmd.org/pdf/SpecialEventRecyclingGuide.pdf

http://realgreengirl.blogspot.com/2009/06/tips-for-getting-public-to-use-recycle.html

Enjoy YouTube: Animal Planet – The Animals Save the Planet – Lions Recycle-”If animals can recycle, so can we.” Help the animals save their planet and ours, recycle all you can!