Dive Brief:
- The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has partnered with the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) to standardize recycling bins across its entire campus.
- The school will use Recycle Across America (RAA) labels on and around bins in an effort to make waste separation easier for students, staff and visitors.
- RIRRC is offering free standardized labels to any public or private institution that agrees to participate in the state's recycling program.
Dive Insight:
RAA now has more than one million labels in use throughout the country which help increase participation and reduce contamination. Rhode Island became the first state to officially adopt them in April and has distributed about 18,000 labels to 200 schools so far.
Getting these labels in front of RISD's approximately 3,500 students, faculty and staff is a relatively small step overall but it sets a precedent. If this program can be successful at a well-known school it may spur others looking to boost their diversion rates to sign on.
According to Keep America Beautiful, the majority of public spaces still don't have comprehensive, accessible recycling options and this often extends into busy educational settings. The organization has used grants to help fund new recycling bins around the country, including a recent overhaul of Ohio University's waste bin system.
