Getting the Word Out: A Guideline for Solid Waste Professionals
by Todd Barnell, Research Specialist, ITEP
There are many issues related to solid waste disposal that need to be explained to the public.
These issues include safety concerns, hours of operation at the landfill, and how local recycling
efforts are conducted. The question is, what is the best way to get this information out to the
public?
Newsletters are one of the best ways to inform, educate, and encourage the participation of the
public. However, if you must create your own, they can be expensive and time-consuming.
Your best approach is to ask yourself a few questions before starting a public information
campaign.
1. What information do you need to get out to the public?
2. Is this information constantly changing (such as updates on the types of waste being put
into the landfill) or is it one-time information (such as hours of operation or where
recycling is collected)?
3. Could you get the word out effectively by just creating some fliers that could be posted?
4. Are there any other local publications that you could use to get the word out?
5. If a newsletter is what would work best for you, do you have the time and the money to
produce one on a regular basis?
Creating Effective Fliers and Posters
You will probably discover that a great deal of the information you want to get out to the public
is “one-time” information. Things like hours of operation, do’s and don’ts of dumping, and the
location of recycling drop off centers are perfect for fliers.
An effective flier is one that gets across your point without being too wordy. It should also catch
the eye. A flier with an interesting picture or design will make the passerby want to read it. If
you have access to a computer you can find all kinds of ideas for graphics and design on the
internet.
When creating your flier think about an image that would catch someone’s eye. Perhaps you live
in an area where fishing plays a large role in the community. As a solid waste professional one of
your goals is to oversee the proper disposal of waste in a manner that protects your vital source
of water. So maybe a picture of a fish leaping from a running river could be placed on the side of
the flier, running from the top to the bottom of the page.
Next, you want a large, catchy title that will let people know what they can expect to learn by
reading the whole flier. Maybe you want a flier that you can hang up in the window of your local
store, where everyone will have a chance to see it. You want to let people know where the
landfill is located, when it is open to accept waste, and what type of waste you can accept.
Perhaps your title could be “Don’t Dump On Me! Be Waste Wise”. This should be up toward the
top of the page and be large enough so people can read it from a distance.
Now that you have their attention you can put in the information you really want to get across.
Keep this simple. Maybe start off with “Your local landfill is here for all of us”. Then simply list
WHERE the landfill is, WHEN people can expect it to be open, and WHAT they can deliver to
the landfill. Toward the bottom you may want to add a phone number they can find out more
information. There is a sample flier at the end of this document.
Using an Existing Publication
Your village may already produce a regular newsletter, perhaps quarterly. If so, you should talk
with the editor and see if you could have a regular column dealing with solid waste issues.
Once you get approval to include a solid waste column in your local newsletter you are going to
need to come up with a title. A graphic that identifies your column would be useful as well.
Remember, your column is just one of many in the newsletter and you don’t want people to skip
past it. Don’t be afraid to use a little humor either. Perhaps you can put in a graphic of an old tire
and some soda cans. Then call your column “Talking Trash”. It may seem a little silly at first,
but don’t forget you are trying to get people’s attention. They have a lot on their minds, but you
have something important to tell them. Being a little silly and using some humor will catch their
eye and draw them to your article.
Once you get their attention though, you are going to have to keep it. Let’s face it: solid waste is
not a topic most people find very interesting. That means it is up to you to find a way to make it
interesting.
Many people are a little intimidated when it comes to writing. The important thing to remember
is that we all have our own voice. The key to successful writing is finding that voice. If you ask
ten different people what they consider to be great writing you are going to get ten different
answers. The best way to find your voice, and improve your writing ability, is to read. Find some
other newsletters and magazines and take the time to read through different columns written by
different people. Don’t just pay attention to what they are writing, but rather look at how they are
writing. The more you read the more you are going to find yourself saying, “Hey, I could use an
example like that in my column” or “I think it would be better if she explained it like this.” The
best learning tool a writer has is reading other writers. This isn’t a process that will end. It is a
continual learning experience.
Once you’ve taken a look at how others write you are going to need to come up with your first
story idea. This can be a lot harder than you think sometimes. Let’s say your village used to have
a pretty successful recycling campaign but in the last several years it has died out. You want to
get things going again. But you can’t just write in your column, “Hey people! Recycle!” That
just won’t work. You need to motivate people to change their actions and do something new. In
order to do that you are going to need to explain why recycling is important.
So, in your first column maybe you’ll want to start off by explaining just what recycling is and
why it can help the landfill. Most people really don’t realize how quickly a few pop cans can add
up. You do. You’re the one out there every day, worrying about how your space is getting
smaller and smaller. If you can get people to recycle some of those cans you are going to have a
lot more space for other types of waste. Maybe as you start to write a bit about recycling you’ll
feel like it sounds like a textbook. Again, be creative. A lot of our grandparents and other elders
used to tell us stories when we were young that were meant to teach us how to act responsibly.
You might be able to think of a particular story that would explain the importance of recycling
and reusing items, rather than just throwing them away. You might also find it helpful to just ask
some friends why they think recycling is important. Often getting a fresh perspective from
someone else can help you get the creative juices flowing and give you some great ideas.
After you have explained the importance of recycling then you get into the heart of your column.
Maybe you can talk to the owners of the village store and get them to agree to host a recycling
bin for pop cans. You can let your readers know that all they need to do is bring their old cans in
when they do their shopping and drop of them off right there. Maybe you could talk to local
school children and help them set up a recycling club. They could stop by the store a couple of
times each month, collect the cans, and then take them to landfill. Perhaps they could also help
with collection by stopping by people’s homes who may not get out that much anymore and
collect their cans for them.
The idea of using school children has several other benefits, by the way. You could visit the
school and perhaps give a short presentation on recycling. The US Environmental Protection
Agency has a lot of terrific materials aimed at young people on this subject. You can inform
them about the issue, and by doing that you are informing the future leaders of your village.
This is the most effective kind of article: one that is fun to read, has examples from your and
your reader’s own lives and culture, and allows you to connect to the community and spark some
action. Your article should not just be words on a piece of paper. It should be a living part of
your community, informing people and guiding them to take a particular action.
Creating Your Own Publication
You may be in a situation where there is no existing publication in your village. If this is the fact,
and you have a lot of information you want to get out, then you are going to have a bit more
work to do.
You probably don’t have much money for a newsletter, and you probably don’t have a lot of
time, either. But it doesn’t take too much to put together a one-page newsletter. If you have
access to a computer you can design your first one and then use the same design for each
subsequent issue, which will save you a lot of time. In fact, using the same design every time
helps people identify it. After a few issues they will see your great looking logo at the top of the
page and say, “Great! Another issue of Talking Trash”. They won’t think it is just another flier
announcing a sale for laundry soap.
The key to designing your own newsletter is, again, be creative. Have fun with it.
Since you are probably just going to be able to do a short newsletter you are going to need to
keep your articles brief and to the point. Also, it always helps to have plenty of what editors call
“white space”. This is the part of your newsletter where there is no text and no pictures. White
space is where the reader’s eyes can just rest. A newsletter that has pictures all over the place and
too many words can actually be tiring.
If you are going to be putting out a regular newsletter, you will also probably want to put a
volume number and maybe an issue number at the top. That way people will know that it is a
new one and not the one they already read. It will also make it easier for you to file them so you
always have copies of past issues. Most editors use the same volume number for all newsletters
published in a particular year. The issue number changes with each newsletter. For example, say
you start your newsletter in April of 2003. The volume number will be 1. If you just produce four
newsletters a year, say one each season, then your April one could be issue 1. So that first
newsletter will be volume 1, issue 1. The one you produce in July as your summer issue will be
volume 1, issue 2. Your fall issue would be volume 1, issue 3, and your winter issue would be
volume 1, issue 4. Your spring issue in 2004 would then be volume 2, issue 1.
At the end of this document is a sample of a one-page newsletter to give you a visual idea of the
examples we have discussed. It was designed just using Microsoft Word, not any fancy
publishing software. (A tip: By using text boxes in Microsoft Word rather than just typing in text
you can move each different article around easier.) You’ll notice that the creator of this
newsletter named the students in the community who helped set up their recycling program.
People love to see their names in print, and acknowledging people who help will encourage
others to take part.
Remember: you not only have your own voice when it comes to writing, but your own voice
when it comes to design. Take a look at other publications and see how people have used
pictures, text, and white space to create a publication that is informative and fun.
The important thing to keep in mind is you just need to roll up your sleeves and dive into it. The
more you play around with your newsletter the more fun you are going to have. And that sense
of fun will show through. Your readers will know you care about the issues and in return they
will end up caring more as well.