Does Prominent Placement of Recycling Bins Make a Difference?

Anyone who has ever come in contact with the real estate industry is probably familiar with this famous mantra: Location, location, location. 

In a nutshell, location, location, location means identical homes can increase or decrease in value due to location. The saying is repeated three times for emphasis, and it is the number one rule in real estate, though it is often the most overlooked. (The Balance)

The mantra makes sense. Even if a house is beautiful, has everything you have been looking for in a dream home, and is actually in your price range, you won’t consider signing on the dotted line if the house is not in the right city or state.

The same logic applies when you are deciding where to place the recycling area at your home, business, or facility. If you put your recycling bins in difficult-to-see or inconvenient locations, people are less likely to recycle even if recycling is something that they would ordinarily do. It’s hard to fault them for this. Life is busy, and best intentions will only take most people so far.

In the end, it’s up to us to bring recycling to front of mind by making our recycling areas unmissable. 

If your recycling bins are in an awkward or difficult-to-spot location, it’s not enough just to tack up a sign, either. According to the design experts at 99% Invisible, signs are one of the least effective tools to help people find their way. 

Therefore, instead of investing in newer or better ways to direct people toward your recycling area, consider how you can bring the recycling area to them. If you want people to sort their recycling on the way out of the cafeteria, place the recycling bins so that people must pass them on the way through the doors. Such simple measures can make a huge difference as to whether or not people mean to recycle or actually recycle.