USA – survey reveals barriers to kerbside recycling participation among urban residents

The city of Kansas City, Mo., and the Aluminum Can Council (ACC), a coalition formed by the Aluminum Association and Can Manufacturer‘‘s Institute, have partnered to conduct a survey among residents of the city‘‘s "urban core."



Recycling Today reports that the survey intended to gather input about issues related to KC Recycles, the city‘‘s kerbside recycling programme, and to identify common patterns among inner city residents in regards to kerbside recycling.



Key findings indicate that the city‘‘s urban core residents do not recycle because they do not have a recycling bin, do not think recycling is necessary and do not know enough about the city‘‘s recycling programme. However, the research shows that 90 percent of urban residents in Kansas City‘‘s lowest area of participation believe it is important to recycle. The survey also shows that residents are more likely to recycle if they are given incentives, frequency of recycling pickups increase, they have access to recycling bins and they are provided with information about the recycling programme through direct mailings, local newspapers and commercial TV.



"These survey findings show that there is an opportunity to increase participation in Kansas City‘‘s most urban areas. This is the first such research we‘‘ve conducted in this area and the findings are positive," Dee Ann Gregory, KC Recycles coordinator, says. "During the first year of the KC Recycles kerbside program, we experienced high participation rates in the suburban neighborhoods. This demonstrates that we just need to adjust our messages and the way information is distributed and the urban areas are likely to become just as avid participants."



KC Recycles is Kansas City‘‘s kerbside recycling and household waste disposal programme, which was phased in beginning March 1, 2004, and now extends throughout the city.



Kansas City is a member of the Kerbside Value Partnership (CVP), a national programme lead by the aluminum industry to combat declining recycling rates in kerbside programs. As part of the partnership, the industry has been working closely with KC Recycles staff to identify solutions to turn the tide in declining participation rates among the urban and ethnic communities.



"As we‘‘re working with communities across the country to improve participation in their kerbside programmes, we realized that a common problem is low participation in the urban communities. Many people in these communities rent and tend to be more transient making it more difficult to get a large portion of consistent recyclers, not to mention the numerous language barriers," says Steve Thompson, director of recycling initiatives for the Aluminum Can Council. "When the ACC learned of Kansas City‘‘s interest in conducting research on this urban core, we were eager to get involved. We believe these findings are applicable to other cities struggling with similar issues."