City of Newark
Multi-Family Recycling Incentive Program
2003 - 2004
Client Needs
The City of Newark wanted to encourage more recycling activity at multi-family complexes and obtained grant funding from StopWaste.Org to implement an incentive-based recycling program.
HF&H Solution
HF&H had the opportunity to assist the City of Newark with implementation of a unique multi-family recycling program. We offered $60,000 in incentive funds to property managers to generate interest and motivate participation in the recycling program. We invited over 30 complexes to participate and work for a share of the incentive funds. HF&H conducted recycling education classes for the property managers, prepared public education materials with assistance from StopWaste.Org, managed distribution of public education materials and personal recycling bins for tenant use, facilitated adjusted solid waste and recycling service levels as needed, and evaluated program success.
Sixteen complexes participated in the program, encompassing 1,615 apartment units. We measured program results using two benchmarks - recycling capacity per tenant unit and diversion potential (as a ratio of recycling capacity compared to total solid waste and recycling capacity).
Results
- On average, the gallons of recycling capacity available per unit per week increased from 11.8 gallons before the program to 21.1 gallons at program wrap-up, which reflects a 79% increase; and,
- The diversion potential, which was measured as the weekly recycling capacity divided by the total weekly solid waste and recycling capacity increased from 15.5% to 24.7% over the course of the project.
