ECONOMY

WASTE MANAGEMENT SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2014 33GROWING RECYCLINGEDUCATING CONSUMERS ABOUT RECYCLINGTHREE KEY STEPS TO “RECYCLE RIGHT”The public has clearly received the message thatrecycling is important. But the uptick in nonrecyclablematerial and contaminants at our MRFs has made usrealize we need to add another element to the “recycleoften” message — that is, to “recycle right.” We thuslaunched a new consumer-focused campaign in 2013called Recycle Often. Recycle Right. SMThe campaign is intended to help consumers understandhow important it is to recycle often and to recycle theright things. In 2013, we worked with outreach specialistsboth inside and outside the company to develop aneducational toolkit, using proven tactics from the field ofcommunity-based social marketing. The toolkit includesgraphic-based brochures and posters, websites, advertisements,radio clips, blogs, videos, local news articlesand community events, as well as articles in nationalpublications, to spread the message. 19We believe that recycling education is a sharedresponsibility with our municipal partners, and we arenow working to share the toolkit broadly with customersand government agencies across the country.Our investment in the Recycle Often. Recycle Right. SMeducation program will help to ensure we are able tomaintain the quality of recyclables being collected andis an important step in the evolution of sustainablesingle stream recycling programs.123Recycle all bottles, cansand paperKeep items clean and dryNo plastic bagsBy simplifying our messaging to focus on the most commonrecyclable products, providing rules on how to recycle, andinspiring participation, Waste Management hopes to drive theright behaviors to meaningfully impact the amount of usablematerials diverted from landfills.