Emily Riordan
Recycling Law:
Definitions:
“Recycling Receptacle” shall mean a specially designed container, for the purpose of
collecting recyclable materials. Receptacles shall be covered by a restrictive lid. Receptacles
shall be green, and shall be marked with a recycling logo as determined by the City.
“Restrictive Lid” shall mean a cover for the recycling receptacles that has a slot/circle
combination opening.
“Educational Materials” shall mean temporary signs, posters, and mailings, which will
provide information to residents, businesses, patrons, and pedestrians as to the
implementation of receptacles. The materials shall state where and when receptacles will
be added, and what items will be accepted.
The city shall establish a public space recycling program, by providing recycling
receptacles in or near public parks, municipal facilities, near transit hubs, on sidewalks
with heavy pedestrian traffic and in facilities operating on city property, such as sporting
arenas, convention centers, museums, and music halls. Receptacles shall be placed
adjacent to garbage receptacles, and shall be covered with a restrictive lid. Lids shall
include a brief list of what items may be recycled, including symbols to represent the items.
Items that may be recycled shall be kept consistent with the city’s residential recycling
program.
The city shall implement a pilot program in designated areas. Following the pilot
program, the city shall implement a set number of receptacles within set number of years,
as determined by the Recycling Committee*. As receptacles are implemented in each new
area, educational materials shall be posted and distributed.
*Recycling Committee to be determined (as laid out by Mr. Casey’s proposal)
Supporting Memo:
Public space recycling is an important part of a city’s overall recycling program, and
should be implemented in the City of Buffalo. As explained by the city of Anchorage, “public
space recycling is the face of recycling in [the city], showcasing our activities and enhancing
[the city’s] image with visitors.”1 Buffalo may attract visitors for a variety of reasons, and
with its proximity to Canada and Niagara Falls, people from all over the world visit and stay
in Buffalo. If Buffalo wishes to present itself as a clean, future-thinking city, this city’s
recycling efforts should be visible, to provide a nice first impression to visitors.
The most important factor in public space recycling is that recycling receptacles
must be placed adjacent to trash receptacles to prevent contamination. According to Keep
America Beautiful (“KAB”), “Trash and recycling bins are first and foremost “waste bins” in
people’s minds. If there is only one bin in front of them, they are likely to use it regardless
of whether it is labeled “Trash” or “Recycling.”2 It is therefore crucial that the two
receptacles be next to one another, and clearly marked, in order to allow people to use the
proper bin.
Receptacles should be a uniform, consistent design, of a uniform color and with a
recognizable signal. Receptacles should also be noticeably different from the adjacent trash
receptacles. The differentiation and consistency in the receptacles will be helpful in
reducing any confusion as to where recyclables should be placed.
The City of Buffalo must also consider the climate, and should ensure that
receptacles are “durable enough to be placed year-round in an outdoor environment,” as
was done in Albany. NY. 3 The city may also look to Albany as an example in that “the entire
recycling station is manufactured from high-grade plastic lumber manufactured from
recycled milk jugs.”4 Though this may not be possible initially, this is an excellent goal for
the City of Buffalo to work toward.
The items that may be recycled in public spaces should be kept consistent with
those that are recyclable in the residential recycling program. The idea here is to keep the
amount of thought required to recycle to a minimum. As KAB stated, “people spend about
1 second reading what is on a recycling receptacle, so the simpler, the better.”5 If
individuals are already familiar with what can be recycled from recycling at home, they
may not even read what is printed on the bins. Therefore, if it is kept consistent, this will
help to reduce contamination. For those who take the time to read, a simple list with
coinciding symbols should be provided as a guide. Ideally, the list would be the same or
similar to what is found on the recycling totes used by the city. This would allow people to
make an instant connection to the residential recycling, again reducing the likelihood of
contamination.
Receptacles should be equipped with a restrictive lid to help prevent contamination
of recycling bins. These lids may be modeled after the lids used in Little Rock, Arkansas,
which uses “slot/circle combination.”6 This again refers to the limited time that most
people spend considering what to recycle. The restrictive lid creates a physical barrier to
help prevent individuals from throwing trash into the recycling bin, as well as by serving as
an extra reminder that the receptacle is in fact for recycling and not trash.
The receptacles should be placed in public areas, including municipal facilities, in
and around parks, near transit hubs, on sidewalks, particularly those with a large amount
of pedestrian traffic, and in sporting arenas, convention centers, museums where possible.
The city shall set specific goals for the number of receptacles that should be added as time
goes on.
The city should first begin with pilot programs in specific areas, as “starting with
small controlled public spaces and building on an infrastructure can be more manageable.”7
An example of this can be found in New York City, where the law requires “a cumulative
total of at least five hundred public space recycling receptacles within three years of the
effective date of this section, and to a cumulative total of at least one thousand public space
recycling receptacles within ten years of the effective date of this section, at public
locations in the city.”8
A pilot program will allow the city to figure out the most effective means for public
recycling and to start to allow people to become accustomed to the receptacles.9 Cities such
as Seattle have been able to implement city-wide public space recycling through the use of
pilot programs. A report on public space recycling in Seattle states: “Collection cans are
strategically sited based on lessons learned during a 2008 pilot project.”10 In undertaking
these programs, the city should benchmark the progress, by measuring the amount of
material collected in the receptacles, to identify trends over time. The city should be
flexible by being ready change the locations of bins, where there is “contamination or
simply not enough traffic to warrant a given location.”11 Pilot programs will also give the
city time to facilitate the pick up for the bins, and other logistics that arise with the
implementation of any new program.
In order to determine where the pilot programs and future programs, may be
implemented, the Recycling Committee should work with other agencies, following what
was done in New York City’s successful program. There, “the locations for the public space
recycling containers were chosen in coordination with several city agencies (Sanitation,
Transportation, and Parks & Recreation), as well as City Hall and the NYC Council.”12
Because the city of Buffalo will be seeking to recycle in museums, sports arenas, and other
businesses operating on city properties, representatives from these facilities should be
included in the discussion. The city may also wish to have a representative from the
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, as the NFTA’s cooperation will be an integral
part of adding recycling in transit hubs. When these agencies are able to collaborate,
suggestions for possible pilot areas include: the transit hub on Main St, where the metro
and bus lines intersect; Elmwood Village; Delaware Park; The Inner or Outer Harbor.
The city will be responsible for the collection of the recycled materials, in the same
way the collection of waste in public spaces is facilitated. The city may contract with a
hauler in order to facilitate this collection. Collection times and frequency may be
determined through the pilot programs, once the city gets a sense of how much recyclable
material is needed.
Without the proper educational resources, any recycling program has a great chance
of being unsuccessful, as “public trust and community involvement are key to success.”13
City residents and those who are visiting should be behind the effort, and should be
informed of its benefits. Proper signs should be posted, flyers may be distributed, and
proper media outlets should be alerted, as “clear education should always be paired with
containers.”14
Sources:
“Community-wide Recycling,” Municipality of Anchorage
http://www.muni.org/Departments/SWS/recycle/Pages/CommunityWideRecycling.aspx
1
“10 tips for Designing Successful Public Recycling Programs,” Keep America Beautiful
(based on a comprehensive guide)
2
“Recycle Away Specializes in Custom Recycling Containers for Local Governments,”
Recycle Away
http://www.recycleaway.com/Municipal-Recycling-Public-Recycling_ep_79-1.html
3
4 Id.
“10 tips for Designing Successful Public Recycling Programs,” by Keep America Beautiful
(based on a comprehensive guide)
5
“Recycle Away Specializes in Custom Recycling Containers for Local Governments,”
Recycle Away
http://www.recycleaway.com/Municipal-Recycling-Public-Recycling_ep_79-1.html
6
7 “Development
8
of Best Practices in Public Space Recycling/Key Findings,” Eureka
New York City Municipal Code, § 16–310
9 “10
tips for Designing Successful Public Recycling Programs,” Keep America Beautiful
(based on a comprehensive guide)
10
Seattle Public Utilities 2012 Recycling Rate Report
10 tips for Designing Successful Public Recycling Programs,” by Keep America Beautiful
(based on a comprehensive guide)
11
NYC Recycles – 2007 Public Space Recycling Pilot
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/resources/reports_psr_2007.shtml
12
“10 tips for Designing Successful Public Recycling Programs,” by Keep America Beautiful
(based on a comprehensive guide)
13
14
Id.