| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 97 09:48 WET DST From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Drop-off vs. curbside participation rates (Edgar Miller)
April 30, 1997
Dear Edgar Miller,
A very interesting report that underlies but does not answer your question is Nationwide Diversion Rate Study: Quantitative Effects of Program Choices on Recycling and Green Waste Diversion: Beyond Case Studies, by Skumatz Economic Research Associates, 7/96. Tel: 206-624-8508. In essence it says that other factors like variable rates (pay as you throw) and mandatory separation make a great difference when you compare the effectiveness of dropoff vs. curbside programs, as does collection frequency in curbside programs.
Since you do not need curbside data, let me simply note the following resource concerning it: Participation in residential curbside waste reduction programs by Tery Poole, in RESOURCE RECYCLING, 10/92. An extensive Canadian study of JUST curbside.
Berkeley, CA, certainly an urban area, offers dropoff and curbside programs. Data from about 5 years ago indicated that participation in each was about the same, but that the materials collected and tonnages collected in each differed and varied widely. You might get in touch with the City of Berkeley and/or with the reuse program Urban Ore to get current data if it exists.
A long out of date study (1985) indicated that dropoff exceeded curbside participation. In Hyde Park near Chicago with a population of 8,300 households, total participation was 24% with drop off accounting for about 15% and curbside for 9%. However, for obvious reasons this would not be useful for today s options in recycling.
I will try to find more data on this from more current sources and get back to you in this forum.
-- Research Library for RCRA