accessibility for product stewardship programs state of texas alliance for recycling summit 2013 tim...
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Accessibility for Product Stewardship Programs
State of Texas Alliance for Recycling Summit 2013
Tim WarrenAccount ManagerOctober 15, 2013
What is Call2Recycle®? Free to consumers, retailers and participants;
100% funded by manufacturers
Over 75 million pounds of batteries and cellphones collected since inception
Complies with Basel Treaty ban onexports: e-Stewards Recognition
First program of its kind to receiveResponsible Recycling (R2) Certification
How is Call2Recycle Funded?
Battery and product manufacturers pay a licensing fee, based on North American sales, to imprint Call2Recycle Battery Recycling Seals onto battery packs or products to comply with laws.
A toll-free number on the seal allows consumers to locate more than 30,000 collection sites in the U.S. & Canada.
How the Program WorksBatteries are recovered or reused to make new batteries, cement products or stainless steel alloy. Cellphones are refurbished or resold and a portion of the proceeds are used to fund collection programs/public education and charity.
What is Accessibility?
In terms of recycling, it is the access that consumers have to recycle products after their useful life.
Factors to consider:– The convenience of recycling– The variety of items available for recycling– The locations available to drop-off items (how many opportunities
does the consumer have within a reasonable radius)– The visibility of the drop-off locations themselves (out where
consumers can easily identify/access them and well advertised)– The hours of operation are flexible and convenient
Why is Accessibility Important?
In 2009, the U.S. recycling rate for materials was 33.8%, but could be higher or lower depending on material due to the availability – accessibility – of recycling resources for each material.
From Call2Recycle’s perspective, the U.S. EPA estimates that more than 350 million rechargeable batteries are purchased annually in the U.S.– In order to divert those batteries from
the waste stream, our program needs high accessibility to make it convenient for consumers to drop-off their rechargeable batteries.
Recycling Options that Affect Accessibility
Curbside (considered most convenient) Retail take-back Manufacturer take-back Mail-in programs Community/HHW drop-off centers National product stewardship programs
Variety of Collection Methods Variety of Materials Accepted
Aluminum or steel cans Plastic bottles or plastic
containers Glass containers Plastic bags or plastic film Paper or cardboard Cellphones Batteries Print cartridges Consumer electronics Light bulbs Power tools
How Call2Recycle Determines Accessibility
Define a public facing collection site
Identify who is participating as a public collection site
Analyze collection site network (Conventionally, a 10-mile radius has been used as the appropriate radius.)
As of mid-2013, 89% of the U.S. population was covered in Call2Recycle’s accessibility measurement
How Does this Compare with Other Programs?
When Earth911 contacted local communities in 2011 to learn about their curbside recycling programs, one question asked was “What percentage of residents have access to the program?”– On average, only 70% were eligible
to participate
The plastic bag and film industry reports that 91% to 93% of the U.S. population has access to plastic bag recycling and 72% to 74% also have access to plastic film recycling via curbside collection or because they live within 10 miles of a drop-off facility.
The Challenges of Accessibility
Being able to provide coverage for both urban and rural areas effectively– In Texas, we work with organizations like
Cooperative Teamwork Recycling Assistance (CTRA) and the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission to address the needs of rural Texas.
Maintaining accurate location information– Continual quality checks on our database.– Active sites (ones that have sent in batteries
within the last 12 months) are offered first.
For Call2Recycle, a challenge is not being able to utilize more mainstream solutions, like curbside or mailback, because there are safety & compliance concerns that limit this type of collection for batteries
Benefits of Knowing Your Accessibility
Allows insight to identify the areas that are underserved– For Call2Recycle, where should
time, money and effort be spent to set-up collection sites and educate
Can also be used with demographical information to better understand what portion of the population may or may not be recycling
Allows for better, more targeted communications with consumers
66% of “baby boomers”vs. 54% of “millennials”would make a strongeffort to recycle
Battery Recycling Accessibility in Texas
87% accessibility rate for the state
1092 public sites
91% retail, 3% government
In 2013, retail sites have collected 194,907 pounds of rechargeable batteries (195 lbs. average)
Government sites have collected 26,283 pounds (730 lbs. average)
Consumer Awareness & Motivation In a comprehensive survey, 25% of
respondents cited not being accessible or convenient as a barrier to recycling
Only 37% were aware that you could recycle batteries
Less interaction with material to be recycled makes it harder to keep top-of-mind
55% said knowing where to go would increase the likelihood of recycling batteries/cellphones
51% of consumers who “drop and shop” go beyond replacing what they recycled to buy other items
Consumer “green guilt”has more than doubledsince 2009 to 29%
Consumer Awareness & Motivation - continued In a study of 506 consumers who
already recycle batteries, the majority found out about recycling at a retail/store, followed by word-of-mouth
The number one method at a retail location was through store signs
In a survey looking at motivations, the majority of non-recyclers said the biggest thing to motivate them to recycle would be information on
Where to recycle Benefits/importance of recycling How/what to recycle
75% of Americans say they feel good when they take steps to help the environment
What is Your Accessibility?
Do you accept a variety of products?
How convenient is it to recycle?
Do you have enough locations?
Are your locations visible?
What consumer education tools do you use? How effective are they at reaching their audience?
Questions?
Tim Warren
Account Manager, Call2Recycle®
1000 Parkwood Circle, Ste.200
Atlanta, GA 30339
678-218-4579