Dive Brief:
- Waste Management announced the creation of a new online portal surrounding its Recycle Often. Recycle Right. campaign.
- The waste and recycling giant said the campaign encourages recycling through simplified guidelines and is calling for people to become what the company calls “Recycling Ambassadors.”
- The company believes that as a greater number of communities set higher diversion rate goals, more people will need to be educated on correct and effective recycling habits. WM says that as recycling become more popular, so has confusion surrounding proper recycling parameters.
Dive Insight:
The campaign wants to break down recycling into three simple and easy-to-understand rules:
- Recycle all bottles, cans. and paper.
- No food or liquids.
- No plastic bags.
Waste Management notes that most people are still confused about what can and what cannot be recycled. In fact, up to 65% of consumers include non-recyclables into their recycling bins, according to the company.
The three basic rules offer simple steps that should help increase recycling rates around the country. WM said it hopes the rules aid in the reduction of materials entering landfills, which can save resources and increase profitability within the industry.
In order to increase its own recycling rates, Greensboro, NC recetly launched a campaign, “Recycle First. It Matters,” with the same intentions as Waste Management. The city hopes to demystify the recycling process by introducing an educational outreach program that simplifies the recycling process at a local level.