2a. Universal Recycling Ordinance Outreach and Education — original pdf

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Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) How the Business Outreach Team (BOT) implements the URO 1 2 What we’ll cover today • Who we are • Why we exist • URO • Who is affected & who is responsible • What is required & who the URO is for • BOT • What we do • How we follow up • How we incentivize • What we want to do next 6/30/2022 1 Who we are • Policy Team • develops new policy • Business Outreach Team (BOT) • implements existing policies 3 4 6/30/2022 2 6/30/2022 3 5 6 Developing & implementing policy Who they are: Policy Team • Policy Team develops new policy • Researches best practices • Analyzes industry data • Pilots potential ideas • Develops new policy • Engages with affected stakeholders 7 8 Developing & implementing policy 6/30/2022 4 Who we are: BOT • Business Outreach Team (BOT) implements existing policy • Notifies properties about requirements • Assists affected properties • Develops educational materials • Tracks and analyzes ordinance data • Reviews for compliance • Develops standard procedures Why we exist • City of Austin (ARR) provides services to: • Residential properties with 4 or fewer units • 45% of Austin households • Very limited commercial properties (~2k) • Private haulers provides services to: • Multifamily properties with 5 or more units (2k) • 55% of Austin households • Almost all commercial properties (7k) 9 10 6/30/2022 5 COA (ARR) private haulers or self haul Why we exist Why we exist • City of Austin uses ordinances to regulate sectors the City doesn’t directly control and set minimum standards. • BOT implements some of the City’s ordinances to our zero waste goals, including the URO. 11 12 6/30/2022 6 Who is affected • Recycling: • All commercial properties • Multifamily with 5 units or more • Includes apartments, condominiums, dormitories, nursing homes, assisted living facilities • Organics: • All businesses with City of Austin food permits • Includes restaurants, grocery stores, catering companies, commercial kitchens • ~14k properties (9k recycling, 5k organics) Who is affected 22% Multifamily (2k) 78% Commercial (7k) 13 14 6/30/2022 7 Who is responsible • Whoever contracts or arranges for waste services • Typically property owner/manager or business owner/ • Recycling: manager • Organics: • Typically business owner/manager; can be property owner/manager Who is responsible • Haulers are responsible for: • Signs on outdoor containers • Outdoor recycling containers are within 25’ of landfill trash 15 16 6/30/2022 8 Who is it for • Recycling: • Employees, commercial tenants, residents • Organics • Employees (back of house only) What is required • Recycling • (cid:1)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9) 1. Five Materials 2. Capacity 3. Access 4. Signs 5. Education 6. Reporting (plan) (cid:10)(cid:11) (cid:1)(cid:6)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:7)(cid:15)(cid:12)(cid:3)(cid:9)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:6)(cid:13)(cid:1)(cid:17)(cid:18)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:6) (cid:19)(cid:11) (cid:20)(cid:8)(cid:8)(cid:12)(cid:9)(cid:9)(cid:13) (cid:21)(cid:11) (cid:22)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:6)(cid:9) (cid:23)(cid:11) (cid:24)(cid:25)(cid:26)(cid:8)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:6) (cid:27)(cid:11) (cid:28)(cid:12)(cid:17)(cid:16)(cid:3)(cid:18)(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:4)(cid:13)(cid:29)(cid:17)(cid:30)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:31) 17 18 6/30/2022 9 What is required • Recycling requirements: 1. Five Materials • Single stream – paper, cardboard, glass, metal, hard plastic • Material substitutions may be made • 1:1 landfill trash to recycling/organics • Alternatively multifamily may provide 24 gallons per unit per 2. Capacity week 3. Access • Outdoors: Recycling containers within 25’ or less of landfill trash • Indoors: if landfill trash is collected in common areas, recycling must be provided and bins must be paired (or grouped, if organics) What is required • Recycling requirements 4. Signs • Label stream (landfill trash, recycling, organics) • List materials that go in container • Written in two languages 5. Education • Provide written resources in two languages • List materials that go in container • Show where outdoor containers are located • Provide resources within 30 days of new hire/move in, every year, and when there’s a change • Document when resources are provided 19 20 6/30/2022 10 What is required • Recycling requirements 6. Recycling Plan • Due by Feb. 1 every year • Report how the property meets the five URO requirements 21 22 Capacity 6/30/2022 11 6/30/2022 12 Capacity Convenience 23 24 6/30/2022 Signs 25 Submit plan 26 13 What is required • Organics requirements: 1. One organics diversion option • Divert organic material (food, food scraps, food-soiled paper) • Options include feed people, feed animals, compost, food waste reduction 2. Access 3. Signs 4. Education 5. Reporting (submit plan) 27 28 Feed people 6/30/2022 14 6/30/2022 15 Feed animals 29 30 Compost What is required • What is not required? • Recycling: Appropriate recycling • Organics: Front of house (customers) • Who is not affected? • Landscape companies that create yard debris 31 32 What we do • BOT implements existing policy • Notifies properties about requirements • Currently 4 letters & emails (October, January, March, May) • Assists affected businesses • Provide customer service • Respond to calls & emails • Update contact information • Develops educational materials • To help business meet requirements • To support zero waste 6/30/2022 16 6/30/2022 17 Letters Letters 33 34 6/30/2022 18 Sign Resources Sign Resources 35 36 6/30/2022 Educational Resources 37 38 Education Templates 19 6/30/2022 Education Templates 39 40 Education Templates 20 6/30/2022 Education Videos 41 42 Marketing Resources 21 6/30/2022 What we do • BOT implements existing policy • Tracks data & analyzes trends • for reporting and compliance • to inform new resources and future policy • Reviews for compliance • Plan data and waivers • Refers non-compliant properties • To CCU follow up • Develops standard procedures 43 44 Communications & Submissions 22 6/30/2022 Submission 45 46 Communication Trends 23 6/30/2022 24 Organics Diversion Options How we follow up • Property reports not meeting materials, capacity, or convenience requirements: • we review waiver request & approve or deny • If we deny, CCU follows up • Property report not meeting signs & education requirements: • we send an email with resources 47 48 6/30/2022 25 Non-compliance emails 49 50 Who they are: CCU • Commercial Compliance Unit (CCU) follows up on non-compliant properties • Focused on complaints, denied waivers (~70), non- submittals (2k) • Calls, emails, site visits • Provides compliance education, notices of deficiency • Will take to court, when necessary How we incentivize • Zero Waste Business Rebate • Requirements: • Must be affected by URO • Must go above and beyond • Can’t be used to meet minimum requirements • Process sending receipts emails • Not a true “rebate”; must be approved before purchasing and • If report meeting capacity requirement, we send 1 of 4 rebate 51 52 6/30/2022 26 6/30/2022 27 Rebate email How we incentivize • Historically: • Since roll out: • Used to incentivize early adoption of URO requirements • Was more open-ended, took more time to administer • Developed specific options to choose from • E.g., Compost service, straws, bags, to-go ware • Last year, added & pushed food donation • This year, continued to push food donation; added expanding organics if donating food 53 54 How we incentivize • Rebate options: 1. Food rescue (up to $3k) • Equipment to store and transport food • E.g., refrigerators, freezers, shelving, coolers, thermal bags 2. Organics diversion (up to $3k) • Organics/composting service (up to 6 months), indoor bins 3. Sustainable switch (up to $1.8k) • Switch from plastic to reusable, paper, or compostable to-go items, like cups, bags, straws. 4. Multifamily recycling bins (up to $1.8k) • Indoor bins for residents How we incentivize • This year’s results: • Food rescue (up to $3k) • 5 applicants; 3 refrigerators/freezers reimbursed ($9k) • Organics diversion (up to $3k) • 4 applicants; 1 month of organics service reimbursed • Sustainable switch (up to $1.8k) • 2 applicants; reusable products ($3.5k) • Multifamily recycling bins (up to $1.8k) • 0 applicants 55 56 6/30/2022 28 6/30/2022 How we incentivize 57 58 How we incentivize 29 What we want to do next • Support new compliance processes & CCU • Develop resources: • help reduce the risk of common contaminants • encourage circularity (reuse, reduction, durable, repair) • encourage organics diversion, especially food donation • Incorporate equity: • shift from request-based to data-driven • proactively help businesses that need it the most • improve access through translation, paper plans, etc. Questions? 59 60 6/30/2022 30