5 Tips for a Successful Outdoor Recycling Program

While essential to ensuring sustainability at any outdoor site, implementing an outdoor recycling program can often present a variety of obstacles. These five keystone tips for recycling should help you overcome some common problems so that you and your patrons can recycle most efficiently and effectively in the great outdoors.

Ideal Placement

Convenience on the user end is key to a successful recycling program. If you place your recycling bins in easily accessible locations—next to trash bins and close to seating areas and walkway intersections, for example—passersby will more readily notice and use them. Your outdoor recycling program will be most effective. Also, be sure to consider social distancing guidelines when considering placement: aim to place bins at least six feet apart from one another to ensure patrons can continue to stay safe and socially distance whenever they recycle.

Share Best Practices

You want to make sure your patrons know what they can and can’t recycle at your site. To help them, affix informative signs on or near each recycling bin showing what materials are recyclable and what’s best thrown in the trash. Include items patrons will commonly have with them outdoors at your site—if you’re near a coffee shop, for example, include information about whether coffee cups, napkins, and similar items can be recycled. You can find some helpful, downloadable examples of signs here.

Mark Bin Locations

If you have directories or maps to help visitors navigate your site, try marking the location of each recycling bin or recycling station with the chasing arrows symbol so that your patrons instantly know where to go to dispose of their recyclables. If you do not have a map or directory for your site, then regularly placed signs pointing patrons towards recycling bins can also be helpful.

Consider The Elements

As the cold weather approaches, you may worry about snow getting into your recycling bins and turning recyclables to mush. Even if snow isn’t a problem in your area, it’s highly likely that rain or other weather conditions will threaten your recyclables at some point or another. To protect recycled materials from the elements, place your bins under overhangs or other covered areas, or choose recycling bins with domes or lids built to keep the weather out.

Communicate

Above all, make sure everyone involved in your outdoor recycling program knows the plan at your site. If your staff knows what and where to recycle, they can assist patrons most effectively and engage in recycling best practices themselves, too. Make sure to check local and federal laws to ensure you are following all applicable recycling rules.

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