Implementing an Invigorated Recycling Campaign within King County
Stephanie Terrell
Despite winning numerous Waste Wise awards from the Environmental Protection
Agency for major successes in recycling initiatives and public education programs, the King
County Solid Waste Division, housed in downtown Seattle’s King Street Center, was in need of
improvements to their recycling infrastructure and promotional materials. After evaluating the
recycling program throughout King Street Center by taking a physical inventory of containers,
reviewing recycling and garbage collection rates, and surveying employees, this research
warranted the design and implementation of a more cohesive and standardized collection
program. The high level of variance in container placement, signage, collection procedures,
knowledge and access led to an observed overall decline in recycling collection of approximately
23% or 40,000 lbs and a concurrent increase in waste collection of approximately 18 % or 30,000
lbs. over the period from 2001to 2006.
I identified the most definitive methods for reversing these negative trends as creating
improved, consistent signage throughout the building and in key areas such as employee break
rooms, the use and placement of standardized containers, localization of information for building
employees including a new county intranet website, and improved training for new employees. I
implemented these initiatives through work with the graphics department, building management,
human resource teams, and county building employees.
Going forward, I helped assemble a Waste Wise team to continue to monitor and evaluate
recycling and garbage collection rates for the building. It is my expressed goal to utilize this
information to evaluate the successes and failures of this program and apply this knowledge on a
larger scale, both for commercial buildings within the city, and in the multi-family residential
arena. A firm understanding of the necessary components for a successful recycling campaign can
benefit these venues tremendously and can help promote recycling program adherence in a more
effective manner.