HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9626 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9626
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 18, 2014
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SUBJECT: SOLID WASTE SERVICES BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION STUDY
In March, the Solid Waste Services Division of the Code Compliance Department will begin a
behavior modification study to better understand the factors that influence people in Fort Worth
whether to recycle or not. The goal is to use the data and the perceptions of the participants to
develop Community-Based Social Marketing techniques to improve our current recycling
program.
We have engaged the professional services of Action Research, a consulting firm referred to us
by Keep America Beautiful (KAB). This is a pilot project of which we were asked by KAB to
participate to help them learn behavior modification techniques to be used nationwide.
The first step of the project is to prioritize target behaviors. To accomplish this, Solid Waste
Services will conduct a waste audit of 400 randomly selected households throughout the city.
Materials from both the garbage and recycling bins from these households will be audited and
characterized for a total of 800 cart audits. Residents will receive replacement carts that same
day for the carts that were removed and receive written notice outlining the purpose of the waste
audit on the same day.
Residents will be advised by the written notice that during this audit portion of the study, the City
will remain responsible for handling their waste —just as it is every week— and the sorting
process and proper disposition of the waste and recycling will be monitored for their security.
The second step of the project will help staff to better understand the factors that influence people
in Fort Worth to recycle or not recycle. To carry out this step, our consultant, Action Research,
will conduct in-person interviews with the households that participated in the cart audits. It is
estimated this will take place in April.
The solid waste staff will use the information gleaned from the audits of both the garbage and
recycling carts and, through the interviews, determine the factors that influence recycling behavior
by our residents to fine tune our public outreach efforts. The data gained through the waste
characterization study will also be critical information for the upcoming Comprehensive Solid
Waste Management Plan.
For additional information, please contact Kim A. Mote, Assistant Director, Code Compliance
Department, 817-392-5153.
Tom Higgins
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS