It is important to “think like a municipal official” when attempting to generate political support for recycling, consultant Michele Nestor, president of Nestor Resources Inc. said during the National Recycling Coalition’s 24th Annual Congress & Exposition in late August.

In the session “Reaching Critical Masses: Creating Political Support for Recycling,” Nestor said officials don’t want their phones to ring with problems, they don’t like bad press, they like to be recognized for accomplishments, they want to sound like they know what they’re talking about, they like photo opportunities and they want to get re-elected.

Nestor worked with Cranberry Township, Penn., a rural community which grew 30 percent in 10 years, but still had no ban on burning, and continued to have unlimited waste collection, with garbage being picked up every day by five different companies. There was curbside recycling, but there was no consistency of service.

Nestor Resources transformed this system into one in which burning was banned, and a pay as you throw structure was implemented with multiple carts for waste, recyclables and yard trimmings. Additionally, they went from five haulers to one hauler, significantly reducing the number of garbage trucks on the roads.

Within the first quarter of the program, the residential participation rate in the program rose from 57 percent to 98 percent, and the residential recovery rate rose from a low of nine percent to 40 percent. They also saved the municipality five to 15 million dollars in the process.

“Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer”

Nestor said they accomplished this by thinking like a municipal official, as discussed above. She said it’s also important to do the following:

• “Know all of the costs associated with the project before you go in,” perhaps broken down by household or person;
• “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer;”
• “Provide a forum for the vocal minority to speak such as focus groups or forums,” so you can plan your campaign with their objections in mind.

Nestor said in Cranberry Township, the vocal minority wanted choice, not just one hauler. So they focused on choice with the variable rate program in the pay as you throw system. This enabled them to dilute the message of the vocal minority.

Nestor also believes in enlisting the news media as advocates. She gave them advance briefings with facts, figures and quotable quotes. She also pointed them toward similar successes and organized photo opportunities.

To engage the private sector, Nestor recommends presenting the proposal as a business opportunity. The private sector loses income if there is less waste to landfill, so she convinced them that by cutting yard waste out of the municipal solid waste stream, it would help them avoid seasonal increases and decreases in the amount of waste they collect.

When asked how to keep public forums from becoming unruly, Nestor admitted she was once led out by armed guards a long time ago. She then made the following suggestions:

• Have people register when they come in;
• Have break-out session with smaller groups which are easier for a moderator to handle;
• Don’t have presentations that lead the community by the nose to the “right” choice;
• Have those who wish to speak walk up one at a time to a podium with a microphone and identify themselves;
• Provide lots of information.