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Recycling

Collection strategies and design

Bin placement

When planning, think about bin locations. Take advantage of visitor behaviour, the layout and design of the venue, and consider access and visibility.

In particular, consider the following:

• People won't walk more than 12 metres to dispose of their litter in a public place – make it as easy as possible for people to get to the bins
• Bin placement should not block crowd or traffic flow – safety and ease of access is crucial
• Bins should be close to where food is consumed – not necessarily where food is purchased
• Consider access needs of children, people with disabilities, service providers and collection services
• Bins and signage must be visible and identifiable – make them impossible to miss and equally impossible to misuse

Bin design and recycling equipment

Studies show that public place recycling works best with 'co-mingled collections' – collecting all recycled materials together in one bin, rather than in separate bins.  Too many options have a tendency to cause confusion.

Use a three-bin configuration or set-up – two garbage bins either side of a recycling bin. This will cater for people who separate their waste and recyclables into the right bins and for those who drop their waste into the first bin they approach.

Find out what's available for collection and storage, and how you can best match recycling facilities to the materials they need to collect.

Signage

Standard colours and identifiable signage is essential for running a successful public place recycling service.

Place easy to recognise, standard signage in various locations. This will help the community identify public place recycling systems and familiarise themselves with facilities available.

Also consider including the location of recycling and waste facilities on published maps and on-site signposts.

Download and use the standard recycling signs.