Gigantic's presentation at the 2018 California Resource Recovery Association conference looks at the challenge of finding custom tailored solutions for environmental problems of littering, pollution and illegal dumping.

1. Littering, Dumping,
Polluting
Turning the Tide with
Effective Outreach

3. Who we are

4. Our Clients

5. Gigantic Team

6. One Size Fits
None:
Targeting Outreach
to Reduce Toxics

7. Marin County

8. Coalition
County + Non Profits + Citizens

9. Coalition’s Picture of Success
What does Marin look like, sound like, smell like,
feel like if you are successful?

10. IPM
No…
Yes…and then some

11. Online Survey Revealed
• Focus on single-family homes
• Marin is Hyper Environmentally Conscious
• Focus on Weeds.
• Use term “Weed Killer” (not glyphosate, no
brand names)
• 72% of respondents use the Internet for
gardening advice.

12. This Lady:
Not the Target Audience
Already doing it right.

13. This Guy:
Target Audience
Non- and novice
gardeners.

14. Now it’s time for
creative…

16. YardSmartMarin.org

19. Top Down
Bottom Up
Approach
Target
Audience

20. Top Down Tactics

21. Top Down Tactics: Digital

22. Bottom Up Tactics

23. Spanish Language

26. Holy Smokes!
Using Observational Research
to Fight Cigarette Butt Litter

27. Social-Behavioral Research
• Experimental
Design
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Observational
Research
Exploring human motivations, activities, psychological
processes, interactions

28. What is
Observational Research?
• Observe in real-life
setting or naturally
occurring situation
• With or without
interaction
• Replicable methods
• Consider social,
psychological risks

29. Why Observational Research?
• Want to answer “how” or “what”
• Little is known about a topic
• Actual behavior different than
self-reports
• Real-life setting is relevant
By understanding HOW people
litter, we can better inform effective
program design and outreach.

30. Case Study: Alameda Countywide
Clean Water Program
• Objective: Litter reduction, with
focus on bus stops
• 9 pilot sites: Hayward, Oakland,
Unincorporated Alameda Co.
• Survey  Observational Research
E 12th St & 7th Ave, Oakland

31. CWP: Data Collection

32. CWP Research Findings
• Lots of Cigarette Butts!
• Oakland 36%; Hayward 33%;
Castro Valley 28%
• No “No smoking” signs
• 9.4% of people littered
• Most litterers were smokers
Paper
14%
Cigarette
Butts
49%
Foil/food Wrapper
7%
Food Container
3%
Food Remnants
8%
Napkin/
Tissue
5%
Misc.
Plastic
6%
Unknown
5%
Other
3%
Trash Characterization:
A St & Grand St, Hayward

33. CWP Recommendations
1. Install Ash Receptacles
2. Install Anti-Littering Signage
• Test norming message: “9 out of 10 bus
riders here always use the trash can”
• Test enforcement message: “Please
Always Use the Trash Can. Littering is
against the law.”

34. CWP Recommendations
CWP decided not to move forward with pilot campaign:
Grand St & A St, Hayward
• Couldn’t place signage at bus stops
countywide in an equitable way.
• Smoking not allowed... ash receptacles
would violate ordinances.

35. Case Study: City of Fremont
• Issue: Cigarette butt littering at
commercial businesses
• List of 127 businesses w/ past
enforcement, ongoing cig butt issues
• Requested outreach tool
• Recommended 15 site observations to
inform outreach tool

36. Fremont Data Collection

37. Fremont Research Findings
• Lots of butts (60%: at least 5 per sq yd)
• 40% - No ash receptacles
• 67% - No signs (No Smoking w/in 25ft..)
• No relationship between cig butt litter
& business type, ethnicity, language
• No signage at sites with most butts

38. Fremont Recommendations
1. Provide Training Guide & Signage
for Business Owners & Managers
• How to buy & install ash
receptacles and signs
• How to educate & remind
employees and public
• Employee
Pledge

39. Fremont Recommendations
2. Pilot a Creative Receptacle
• “Vote with Your Butt”
• Pilot at highly littered sites with engaged managers
• Measure cig butt litter before and after

40. • Website with
Guide, Pledge,
Table Tent Cards
• Coming soon:
Signs, decals,
stickers, outreach
Fremont Implementation

41. Conclusions
Research:
Don’t forget about it!
Observational Research:
Learn about behaviors
people don’t want to
talk about

42. Illegal Dumping
Tailored Outreach for a
Tough Problem

43. San Rafael

44. Canal District, San Rafael

45. Canal District, San Rafael

46. Who are your
Stakeholders?
• Target Audience
• Non-Profit Partners
• Police Department
• MFD Managers
• Community members

47. Research: Primary, Secondary
& One-on-One Interviews

48. Survey Intercepts

49. The Challenge

50. Observational Research

51. The Solution has to work
for the audience.

52. The Solution has to work
for the audience.

53. Remember

54. Questions?

55. Conclusion slide
Contact us:
info@gigantic-idea.com
Gigantic-Idea.com