1. Recycling Design for
the Perpetual Intermediates
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2. WASTED OPPORTUNITY
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3. What is the Goal?
“Good design makes users more
effective.”
About Face 2.0
Alan Cooper & Robert Reiman
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4. Brain Surgery?
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5. Who Are We Designing
For?
Marketing: beginners, new participants
Manufacturers: PR and CYA
Recyclers: effective collection
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6. Who Are We Designing
For?
Marketing: beginners, new participants
Manufacturers: PR and CYA
Recyclers: effective collection
“The designer’s job is to identify who the
most important users are.” - About Face 2.0
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7. Design for the Middle
“Most users are neither beginners or
experts – instead they are
intermediates.” About Face 2.0
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Beginners Intermediates Experts

8. Perpetual Intermediates
People don’t like to feel incompetent.
We become an intermediate – or drop out all
together.
Even experts will gravitate back to the middle.
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9. Can You Hand Me My Glasses?
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In the
beginning… it
was about the
arrows and
“numbers.”

10. Make This Easy
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Don’t Make Me Think
about what I can and
can’t recycle.
Except….

11. The Society of the Plastics Industry
(SPI) Guidelines1988
SPI and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines:
 Use the SPI code on bottles and rigid containers in compliance with the 39 state
laws now in effect.
 Use the SPI code solely to identify resin content.
 Make the code inconspicuous at the point of purchase so it does not influence the
consumer's buying decision.
 Do not modify the elements of the code in any way (i.e., do not replace the resin
acronym in the code and do not use other types of chasing arrows).
 Do not make recycling claims in close proximity to the code, even if such claims
are properly qualified.
 Comply with FTC Guidelines for Use of Environmental Marketing Claims when
using SPI code.
 Do not use the term "recyclable" in proximity to the code.
http://www.plasticsindustry.org
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12. SPI Commentary
“The code was not intended to be - nor was it
ever promoted as - a guarantee to consumers
that a given item bearing the code will be
accepted for recycling in their community.”
“This scrutiny is part of a larger effort by the FTC
and State Attorneys General to crack down on the
use of ‘false and misleading environmental
claims’ in product marketing.”
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13. SPI Commentary Protects the
Industry, not the User
“The code should be applied where it will be
inconspicuous to the consumer at the point of
purchase, so it does not influence the consumer's
buying decision.””
“Do not make recyclability or other environmental
claims in close proximity to the code, even if such
claims are properly qualified. Specifically, do not
use the term "recyclable" in proximity to the code.”
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14. The Paper Industry
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A Different Story.
http://www.paperrecycles.org/school_recycling/index.html

15. If You Care
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16. Explain the Product
Lifecycle
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MATERIALS ENVIRONMENT USAGE DISPOSAL
“Design of behavior requires an
understanding of the user’s relationship
with the product from pre-purchase to
end-of-life” About Face 2.0

17. Message at Collection
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Designed with goal of
Efficient Curb-Side
Collection.
http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/departme
nts/recycling/

18. But What Can I Recycle?
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To learn in depth
instructions about
residential recycling,
download the PDF:
“Improving Your Service” Residential
Recycling Guide

19. Great Design – Poor Accessibility
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Page 4-5 (of 28) of pdf download

20. What About the Arrows?
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21. But What Do the Numbers Mean?
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“The numbers inside
the recycling symbol…
do not indicate
whether or not that
item can be
recycled…”
http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=29042

22. Don’t Make Me Think*
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* Title of Steve Krug’s 2001 book on (web) Usability

23. Help Me, Help You
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Artemis Café Customer Recycling

24. In Summary
Design and share content to make perpetual
intermediates more effective.
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25. In Summary
Design and share content to make perpetual
intermediates more effective.
Ideally, communicate what can be recycled
beginning at the manufacturing stage.
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26. In Summary
Design and share content to make perpetual
intermediates more effective.
Ideally, communicate what can be recycled
beginning at the manufacturing stage.
In practice, the greatest gains can be made at
the final decision point – “trash or recycle?”
@ggiersch #PDXSHIFT

27. Reduce Wasted Opportunities
@ggiersch #PDXSHIFT
Design for the Perpetual Intermediate.
Make it Easier for Them to Know What to Recycle.