Courtney Forrester, City of Newton, presents on various ways of using social media, websites and other modern outreach avenues to increase recycling and waste reduction.

1. Courtney Forrester
Recycling Manager
City of Newton

2. Outline
• Promoting Sustainable Behavior
• Using Social Media
– Blogs
– Facebook, Twitter
– Videos
• Using your Website
• Tips for Messaging

3. Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
Crafting the right message
While education and advertising can be effective in creating
public awareness and in changing attitudes, numerous studies
show that behavior change rarely occurs as a result of simply
providing information.
– Doug McKenzie-Mohr

4. Using Social Media to Change
Behavior
Web 2.0

5. • Good for volunteer groups to maintain
• Longer posts, detailed messaging
• Engage community with comments
• Examples:
– Newburyport – Toward Zero Waste
– Newton – Virtual Recycling Tour

6. https://sites.google.com/site/newtonrecycles/

7. • Micro blogs
• No frills,
straightforward, quick
messaging
• Keeps messaging going
between
events/programs
• “elevator pitch”
• Creates an online
presence/profile
• Encourage
commitments – get
likes, ask questions, get
feedback
• Connect and engage
• Promote events

8. Videos
• Sites: YouTube, Vine, Vimeo
• Examples:
• Salem – “You Gotta Recycle, Buddy”
• Somerville – Single Stream Recycling toters
• Newton – Virtual Recycling Tour

9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW_R8_qFnDk

10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWu1B-6Mpt4

11. Using your Website
• Creating a Recyclopedia
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Maps
• E-newsletters

13. FAQs

14. Maps

15. E-newsletters
• Collect addresses – always offer unsubscribe link
• Set a frequency that will work with your schedule
• Promote social media
• Promote Events
• Highlight successes
• Quick links to Website
• Examples: Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, Newton, SSRC

16. • Be consistent
• Keep updated
• Keep web content concise
– Use heading to break up long text
– Use bullets, text formatting, spacing
• Use pictures and images
• Create one pagers that residents can print and
post at home near recycling bin
Messaging

17. Questions?