Recycling Markets are changing, China's National Sword policy has tightened what is and isn't accepted in the recycling marketplace. Bottles, cans, plastic, all need to be clean, empty of food and liquids. Items need to be sorted into the right cart. So how do you communicate this to the public? Our presentation shows our work as well as that of a few haulers on ways to clearly communicate what can & can't be put in the cart.

1. Keeping It Clean:
Anti-Contamination Messaging

2. Who We Are

3. Public Sector Clients

4. Recycling Crisis Makes Mainstream News

5. Food and liquids in
recycling containers
Wish-cycling or just not
caring to sort correctly
Local Loads Contribute to the Crisis

6. Messaging: Highlights from Haulers

7. Messaging: Highlights from Haulers

8. Messaging: Highlights from Haulers
Common Themes:
• Empty
• Clean
• Dry
• No bags/bagging
• “Know what to
Throw”

9. Palo Alto: Reducing Food & Liquid in Recyclables

10. Vivid Communication: How Clean is Clean?

11. Define Desired Behavior

13. To view the Videos from this Project visit:
https://www.gigantic-idea.com/portfolio/zero-waste-palo-alto/

14. To view the Videos from this Project visit:
https://www.gigantic-idea.com/portfolio/zero-waste-palo-alto/

15. To view the Videos from this Project visit:
https://www.gigantic-idea.com/portfolio/zero-waste-palo-alto/

16. Enable the Desired Behavior

17. Take the Message to the (Real) People

18. Take the Message to the (Online) People
Total Reach 210,955
10-Sec Video View
from View Ads
40,501
Clicks from Website
Click Ads
367
Budget $5,325
Facebook/Instagram Results

19. Take the Message to the (YouTube) People
Video Impressions YT views
Wet Your Whistle 142,874 12,061
Veggie Recycle Ready 162,405 10,527
Recycling is Going Fat
Free 165,472
13,072
Total 470,751 35,660
Total Cost Cost Per
View
$2,112.61 $.06

20. Learnings: People See What’s Not There

21. Learnings: Opportunity for Engagement

22. Adjust Messaging to Address Concerns

23. Recycling Stream
Contamination
Livermore: Contamination in All Carts
Organics Stream
Contamination
Missed Diversion
Opportunity in Trash
Show How to Separate & Sort Common Items

24. Binny and Residents Deliver the Message

25. To view the Videos from this Project
visit:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCauVIp2moL92GrfI5NyBnQw

29. Communications Best Practices
• Local Relevance. Highlight commonly
found issues (check your loads)
• Establish Clear Expectations—align city
& hauler messaging
• Define desired actions (Pour, Wipe,
Scrape)
• Adapt culturally/languages if needed

30. Communications Best Practices:
• Make it vivid—Show examples,
demonstrate
• It’s ok to create a sense of urgency, if
situation is urgent
• Address known sensitivities
• Repeat, repeat—multi-touch

31. Questions?
lisa@gigantic-idea.com