"Rose Quarter Public Recycling Improvement"
Portland State University
Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling
Capstone
Fall 2010
Final Report
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Background
Current Systems and Conditions
Overview of Capstone Activities
Report Out
o Data Collection
o Conclusions
o Suggested Improvements
• Questions & Answers
Background
• PSU Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling Capstone
- Fall 2010
• Partnering with the Rose Garden Arena and its
contracted food services vendor, Ovations
• Goal of improving recycling and composting by guests
in the largest public areas of the Rose Garden during
Portland Trailblazers basketball games
• Pursued that goal through hands on work in the facility
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Observing existing systems and operations
Interacting with the guests and staff
Identifying possible new activities and system changes
Piloting selected improvements
Current Systems and Conditions
• LEED Gold certification of arena in Spring 2010
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First sports venue in the U.S to be awarded this recognition
• Dedication aimed towards:
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Energy
Water
Transportation
Waste
• Ultimate Goal becoming zero waste facility
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Entire facility introduced public composting in Spring 2010
Switched majority of service ware to compostables
Compostable service ware examples, excluding gray decorative collector Blazers cup.
Current Systems and Conditions
• Three main areas of high public traffic and waste disposal
100 level
200 level (Club level)
 with restaurant style seating and serving staff
o 300 level
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• Guests dispose waste into newly designed and introduced
four part containers
• Majority of waste being generated:
 Compostable:
 Food
 Food containers
 Drink cups
 Landfill:
 Many candy wrappers
 Various printed handouts
 Snow cones and cotton candy
Overview of Capstone Activities
• Teamed up with the Rose Garden to interface with
Trailblazer fans about waste reduction and recycling,
observe the facility's existing systems and make
suggested improvements
Overview of Capstone Activities
• Observing Existing Systems &
Operations
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Identified waste reduction and recycling
efforts that would be beneficial for us to
focus on during the Trailblazers games
Each game we performed different
activities
 Recycling and composting education
to guests
 Interacting with guests & employees
throughout facility
 Data collection about disposal in four
part containers
Overview of Capstone Activities
• Identified new physical system changes:
o Removal of "old" recycling and trash areas
o Repositioning containers during different parts of the
game
o New signage for public containers
• Developed activities that would fit in well with the current
atmosphere of the Rose Garden to help increase
awareness about the facility’s recycling and composting
programs
Data Collection
Data Collection
Data Collection Survey Sheet
Data
Data Entry Excel Spreadsheet
Data Analysis
Observed disposals over time
Data Analysis
Observed disposals over time
Data Analysis
Observed disposals over time
Data Collected
Thursdays:
Old Signs vs. New Signs
11/4/2010
• P(mistake)= 51%
Distribution of mistakes:
• P(compost in
landfill)=
62%
• P(compost in recycling)=
13.9%
11/18/2010
• P(mistake)= 31%
Distribution of mistakes:
• P(compost in landfill)=
50%
• P(compost in recycling)=
13.7%
Data Collected
Thursdays: Sign Comparison
• Among the mistakes made during Thursday games, the
majority of the mistakes were compostables going into
landfill bin
• Percentage of mistakes decreased after adapting new
signs
• However, 24% of the mistakes went into bins with new
signs (from 11/18/2010)
Data Collected
Break rooms
11/4/2010
• P(mistake)= 27%
Major issue:
• P(compost into landfill)=
87%
Data Collected
Distribution by Employee
11/4/2010
• 21% of the mistakes
were made by the red
vest guest services
• 33% were made by
Ovation employees
Data Collected
Mistakes per Employee Group
11/4/2010
• 31% of the Ovation staff
are making a mistake
• 41% for red vests
• 54% for gray jackets
11/18/2010
• Not enough
information to
compare.
Data Collected
Saturdays:
Old Signs vs. New Signs
11/6/2010
• P(mistake)= 53%
11/20/2010
• P(mistake)= 37%
Distribution:
Distribution:
• P(compost in landfill)= 75% • P(compost in landfill)= 41%
• P(compost in recycling)=
• P(compost in recycle)=
17%
26%
Data Collected
Saturdays: Signs Comparison
• Accuracy of disposal choice improved after adapting new signs
• 51% of the mistakes made on 11/20 went into bins with new
signs, while both were monitored
• Major problem of compostables going into landfill container
improved after introducing the new signs
Data Collected
Break rooms
11/6/2010
• P(mistake)= 41%
11/20/2010
• P(mistake)= 28%
Major issue:
• P(compost into landfill)=
77%
Major issue:
• P(compost into landfill)=
76%
Data Collected
Distribution by Employee
11/6/2010
• 31% of the mistakes
were made by the red
vest guest services
• 43% were by the
Ovation employees
11/20/2010
• 31% were made by
the red vest guest
services
• 37% were made by
the Ovation
employees
Data Collected
Mistakes per Employee Group
11/6/2010
• 34% of the Ovation staff
are making a mistake
• 44% for red vests
• 61% for gray jackets
11/20/2010
• 24% for Ovation
staff
• 30% for red vests
• 50% for gray
jackets
Data Collected
Tuesday: First Prototype and
without break room information
11/9/2010
• P(mistakes)= 44%
Distribution:
• P(compost into landfill)=
72%
• P(compost into recycling)=
17%
Data Collected
Break rooms
11/9/2010
• P(mistakes)= 33%
Major issue:
• P(compost waste into landfill)= 74%
• Not enough information or data on employee type
• Number of gray jackets employees was low, but the majority
of these employees did not sort correctly across all the
collection days
Data Collected
Possible Errors in the Data Analysis
• Bias due to the structure of the data collection
process
• Irregularities due to coding errors
• Some portions of the collected data were not
included in this analysis due to coding errors
and incorrect coding
Concluding Remarks
We have a few simple, yet urgent, suggested
improvements to increase disposal accuracy
and total waste diversion rates.
Suggested Improvements
based on Capstone Activities:
• Passive Guest Opportunities:
o Improved containers signage
o Video messaging
o Compost table toppers
o Point of sale composting advertisements
o Composting program information on tickets
and literature
• Benefits of This Approach:
o Major focus on new compostable products
that are most confusing for public
o Minimal staff and resources needed after
implementation
o Full facility coverage
We Compost!
Suggested Improvements
based on Capstone Activities:
• Half-time compost
education skit
• Compost educational
cheers
• Introduce new face painting
stencils
• Material sorting games
• Compost stickers
• Point of disposal intercepts
Suggested Improvements based on
Capstone Activities:
• Employee Education
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• Education at Point of Purchase
Waste contests
Pre-shift meetings
Sustainable purchasing
guidelines
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• Disposal Point Improvements
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Removal of old, poorly labeled trash
and recycling stations
Repositioning of new containers
Club level entry table
Entry into building
Questions or Comments?
Thank you from the
Fall 2010 PSU Solid Waste Reduction and
Recycling Capstone Class