Presentation of a survey testing public understanding of waste terms and processes in California. Delivered at CRRA (California Resource Recovery Association) 2013 Conference. For more details, see: http://www.gigantic-idea.com/blog/?p=302 We believe more effective research focused on communications and carefully crafted outreach are both part of the answer to achieving Zero Waste. We’re not prepared to give up on the human race just yet.

2. CRRA 2013
What’s in a Word?
Communicating Zero Waste

3. What if...

4. What if...

5. What if...

6. Organics Stream Signage
THINK GREEN.®
COMPOST
NO
GLASS,
PLASTIC,
STYROFOAM, METAL
510 613 8700

7. Organics Stream Signage

8. Organics Stream Signage

9. Survey Respondents Map

10. Time to Play!

11. The Rules
Write your team’s answer on the white
board -- show your answer when prompted.
All answers must be percentages!
The team that comes closest without going
over wins a point.
Team with the most points at the end of
the game wins!

12. Diversion Goal
The state of California has a
waste diversion goal of 75% by
2020. Check the answer that best
describes what you understand
"diversion" to mean in this
context. CRRA
Options:
• Recycling trash
• Keeping Waste out of Landfill
• Sending trash out of state
• Reducing the amount of garbage
• All of the Above
• Don’t know

13. Diversion Goal
The state of California has a
waste diversion goal of 75% by
2020. Check the answer that best
describes what you understand
"diversion" to mean in this
context. CRRA
What percentage
of respondents
selected “Keeping
Waste out of
Landfill”?
Options:
• Recycling trash
• Keeping Waste out of Landfill
• Sending trash out of state
• Reducing the amount of garbage
• All of the Above
• Don’t know

14. Diversion Goal
The state of California has a
waste diversion goal of 75% by
2020. Check the answer that best
describes what you understand
"diversion" to mean in this
context. CRRA
What percentage
of respondents
selected “Keeping
Waste out of
Landfill”?
Options:
• Recycling trash
: 12%
• Keeping Waste out of Landfill
• Sending trash out of state
• Reducing the amount of garbage
• All of the Above
• Don’t know
: 40%
: 4%
: 11%
: 23%
: 10%

15. Think twice before you use
“diversion”

16. Fork Sort
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your trash: Compost,
Recycling and Landfill. CRRA
Options:
• Compost
• Recycling
• Landfill

17. Fork Sort
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your trash: Compost,
Recycling and Landfill. CRRA
Options:
• Compost
• Recycling
• Landfill
What percentage
of respondents
would put a plastic
fork in the
Recycling?

18. Fork Sort
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your trash: Compost,
Recycling and Landfill. CRRA
Options:
• Compost
• Recycling
• Landfill
What percentage
of respondents
would put a plastic
fork in the
Recycling?
: 2%
: 69.5%
: 25.5%

19. We need material-specific
campaigns!

20. Chip In
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your trash:
Compost, Recycling and Landfill. CRRA
Options:
• Compost
• Recycling
• Landfill
• Don’t Know

21. Chip In
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your trash:
Compost, Recycling and Landfill. CRRA
Options:
• Compost
• Recycling
• Landfill
• Don’t Know
What percentage
of respondents would
put a chip bag in the
Recycling?

22. Chip In
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your trash:
Compost, Recycling and Landfill. CRRA
Options:
• Compost
• Recycling
• Landfill
• Don’t Know
What percentage
of respondents would
put a chip bag in the
Recycling?
: 3.5%
: 29%
: 60.5%
: 7%

23. The trickier
the material,
the trickier the
communications

24. Wet or Dry?
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch,
you have a choice of putting your
trash in the Wet bin or the Dry bin.
Options:
• Wet
• Dry
• Don’t Know
CRRA

25. Wet or Dry?
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch,
you have a choice of putting your
trash in the Wet bin or the Dry bin.
Options:
• Wet
• Dry
• Don’t Know
What percentage
of participants CRRA
placed
the empty soda can
in Wet?

26. Wet or Dry?
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch,
you have a choice of putting your
trash in the Wet bin or the Dry bin.
Options:
• Wet
• Dry
• Don’t Know
What percentage
of participants CRRA
placed
the empty soda can
in Wet?
: 23%
: 67%
: 10%

27. Don’t change horses
mid(waste) stream

28. Tricky Napkin
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your used napkin:
Organics, Recycling and Garbage. CRRA
Options:
• Organics
• Recycling
• Garbage

29. Tricky Napkin
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your used napkin:
Organics, Recycling and Garbage. CRRA
Options:
• Organics
• Recycling
• Garbage
What percentage of
respondents would put
the used napkin in
Garbage?

30. Tricky Napkin
You are at a cafeteria. After lunch
you have a choice of 3 bins to
throw out your used napkin:
Organics, Recycling and Garbage. CRRA
Options:
• Organics
• Recycling
• Garbage
What percentage of
respondents would put
the used napkin in
Garbage?
: 24%
: 35%
: 40%

31. Be aware of multiple
meanings

32. Breaking It Down
What happens at a Landfill?
We gave these options:
Options:
A) Waste is sorted into recyclables and
garbage. Recyclables go somewhere
else. Garbage is buried there and
breaks down.
B) Waste is sorted into recyclables and
garbage. Recyclables go somewhere
else. Garbage is buried there, where it
stays forever.
C) Anything that is thrown away,
including garbage and recyclables, gets
dumped and most of it breaks down.
D) Dirt is dumped to make usable land
for building homes, offices, etc.
CRRA

33. Breaking It Down
What happens at a Landfill?
We gave these options:
Options:
A) Waste is sorted into recyclables and
garbage. Recyclables go somewhere
else. Garbage is buried there and
breaks down.
B) Waste is sorted into recyclables and
garbage. Recyclables go somewhere
else. Garbage is buried there, where it
stays forever.
C) Anything that is thrown away,
including garbage and recyclables, gets
dumped and most of it breaks down.
D) Dirt is dumped to make usable land
for building homes, offices, etc.
What percentage of
respondents selected B,
that recyclables
CRRA
go somewhere else
and that garbage
stays forever?

34. Breaking It Down
What happens at a Landfill?
We gave these options:
Options:
A) Waste is sorted into recyclables and
garbage. Recyclables go somewhere
else. Garbage is buried there and
breaks down.
B) Waste is sorted into recyclables and
garbage. Recyclables go somewhere
else. Garbage is buried there, where it
stays forever.
C) Anything that is thrown away,
including garbage and recyclables, gets
dumped and most of it breaks down.
D) Dirt is dumped to make usable land
for building homes, offices, etc.
What percentage of
respondents selected B,
that recyclables
CRRA
go somewhere else
and that garbage
stays forever?
27%
35%
33%
5%

35. “Landfill”Bad?

36. Thanks for Playing

37. Before You Rev Up Your Outreach...

38. Guidelines
•
Don’t
Assume
•
Embrace
Material
Specific
Campaigns
•
Build
on
Exis<ng
Successes
•
Test,
Test,
Test
•
Don’t
Give
Up

39. Thank you!
www.gigantic-idea.com/blog
nancy@gigantic-idea.com

41. Why Survey?