How Glendale, CA Increased Their Recycling and Composting Rates by Focusing on Education
When a new bill requiring access to composting and composting education was introduced in California, the City of Glendale partnered with Recycle Coach to educate their residents on proper composting and recycling practices.
Background
Population: 195,000 (2022)
Single Family Homes: ~90,000
Annual Users: 24,417
Interactions per year: 131,390
In 2023, Senate Bill 1383 required municipalities in California to offer access to composting and provide composting education to residents. Since the bill was enacted, Glendale has been trying to reduce waste and increase and improve its recycling and composting efforts.
Solution
In addition to flyers, organics videos, and website updates, Recycle Coach’s introduction in 2023 helped the city broaden its recycling and organics messaging.
Glendale’s outreach team now runs monthly Recycle Coach reports to guide their messaging focus for social media and interactions with residents. They run compost pail giveaways, offer virtual webinars, and organize free mulch programs. These outreach efforts, combined with Recycle Coach’s educational content, help provide metrics to confirm these efforts are working.
Results
More than 24,000 Glendale residents use the Recycle Coach app annually, making frequent use of the Bulk Item Pick-Up tool, educational features, and quizzes. Educational features are used to help build Glendale’s school programs, and residents boast a 70% correct answer rate on quizzes and questions, which shows an increase in understanding about recyclable materials.
From October 2023 to October 2024, residents of Glendale interacted with the app 131,390 times and performed 5,700 material searches. The number one search term was “food items,” allowing the municipality to see a dedication to composting the right items.
Key Takeaway
Recycle Coach’s educational materials, when used in conjunction with the municipality’s community outreach, promotional programs, and informational materials, allow residents to learn how to recycle and compost more effectively.
“Residents need a tool to reduce the confusion surrounding what is recyclable and compostable Recycle Coach fits this need perfectly.”
-Etienne Ozorak, Integrated Waste Superintendent
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