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Creating a WasteWise Community
WasteWise Communities is a campaign within the WasteWise program, designed to encourage partnerships between businesses and local governments to increase recycling behavior and reduce waste at the municipal level. Here are a few steps local governments can take to develop build a WasteWise Community.
- Bring Key Community Players to the Table. The first step in becoming a WasteWise Community is to identify key players in a residential community that will join in the efforts to recycle and prevent waste. Key members may include the local government decision makers, state government, business and community organizations (e.g., civic groups dedicated to improving the local environment).
- Schedule a Strategic Planning Session. Once the key players are identified and have agreed to participate in community waste reduction efforts, a strategic plan can be developed. During this stage, waste reduction programs such as establishing recycling centers or increasing curbside or at-home recycling efforts may be discussed. This session is a good time to discuss goals and expectations that each entity has set as a WasteWise Partner.
- Gain Further Community, Government, and Business Buy-In. Finding additional support from business, state government, and branches of local government that are not yet participating will enlarge the scope and strengthen the integrated waste reduction plan. Approaching potential Endorsers, such as state government agencies, can add technical and educational assistance that promotes your program’s waste reduction message. Key players may also want to approach businesses to support the development of a WasteWise Community by providing funding for operational and educational costs.
- Turn the Waste Reduction Plan into Action. Implement local waste reduction plans by creating new recycling infrastructure – such as drop-off centers -- and building public awareness. Implementation responsibilities may be distributed among Partners and Endorsers to distribute the workload and ensure successful results. For example, if a WasteWise Community implements a new or improved recycling program, businesses can begin to set an example for the community by recycling within their business facility. Businesses can also donate materials (e.g., recycling containers or printed educational materials) and co-promote the waste reduction message throughout the community with joint marketing materials. Businesses and municipalities can also work together to monetize their recycling streams: typically, larger volumes of recycled materials fetch higher unit prices than smaller lots, so a pooled, community-wide approach makes financial sense. When creating a public awareness campaign, Partners can take advantage of WasteWise tools, such as the Waste Reduction Model (WARM) or Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) to educate and inform residents about their local waste reduction plan and their contribution to its overall success.
Municipalities throughout the country are becoming WasteWise Communities.
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