"Innovations" Case Studies: Community Cleanups

Case Studies

• Second Chance Week
• Moraga Pilot Reuse and Cleanup Days

Second Chance Week

Second Chance Week is a public awareness campaign held for the past three years in the fall to promote reuse, repair, resale, and donations. Events are organized to give reusable items that might otherwise be thrown away a “second chance.” Local governments, community groups, reuse businesses, and others organize these activities.

Many of the events organized encouraged the public’s support of existing reuse establishments, such as thrift stores and repair shops. In other locations, communities worked to organize new reuse opportunities, such as citywide garage sales and reuse art contests.

The first Second Chance Week in 1997 involved more than 125 organizations that coordinated more than 95 reuse activities. It attracted almost 20,000 participants and reached more than 370,000 people through direct outreach materials. These efforts directly resulted in the reuse of more than 90 tons of used goods and materials statewide and laid the foundation for future efforts to promote reuse.

In 1998, more than 180 organizations sponsored about 100 reuse activities throughout California, reusing more than 100 tons of used goods and materials. Approximately 3,000 volunteers and paid staff helped coordinate reuse events. Second Chance Week 1998 attracted more than 24,000 participants and reached approximately 390,000 community members through direct outreach materials.

The Local Government Commission organized Second Chance Week under a contract initially with the CIWMB. Second Chance Week has helped California communities organize a wide range of activities that helped reuse and recycle bulky goods, including:

• Communitywide garage sales
• Community rummage sales
• Donation drives
• Bulky item pickup day
• Curbside exchanges
• Street festivals
• Used building materials events
• Office cleanup events

Second Chance Week helps California residents and businesses go beyond recycling to further realize the many benefits of reuse. Following are some examples of Second Chance Week activities that could help reuse and recycle bulky goods.

Communitywide Garage Sales. A city or countywide garage sale involves a designated date on which community members hold their own garage sale. The local organizers are responsible for selecting and promoting the date (usually a weekend during Second Chance Week), registering and providing support to participating residents (for example, garage sale planning kit), and promoting registered garage sales through media outlets and information booths.

Nearly 90 households participated in the Castro Valley Sanitary District’s first annual districtwide garage sale in 1997. Participating residents registered their sales with the district to be included in a listing and map distributed to the public. Based on a survey conducted of those holding garage sales, more than 75 percent of the sales were successes.

In response, the district coordinated a second annual districtwide garage sale the following year. The district again offered advertising at no cost, and more than twice as many sales registered (189).

The City of Berkeley’s recycling program coordinated a citywide garage sale in 1997. The city provided participating residents with tips on organizing a garage sale, a listing of registered garage sales, and a bright yellow poster that they could customize to promote their sale. The city also distributed the listing of participating residents to potential shoppers. Approximately 225 households and organizations participated, plus others who decided to sell after they saw the long list of participants.

Other California communities that have successfully organized communitywide garage sales include the City of Palo Alto (172 households in 1997) and San Mateo (400 households in 1998). Also, the rural town of Lake Elsinore offers free garage sale permits to residents annually in celebration of Second Chance Week.

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Community Rummage Sales. Community rummage sales are generally fundraisers for local charities. Community members contribute items to the event, and volunteers help staff booths to sell those items. Rummage sales are organized by identifying a date, securing a location, and promoting the event. City hall, a schoolyard, or a library parking lot are excellent locations that reinforce the civic nature of the event.

The City of Ripon, Calif., sponsored a community yard sale in conjunction with “Main Street Day.” The sale was held at a city maintained park-and-ride parking lot. The 60 vendor spaces completely sold out and more than 800 shoppers attended the event. Due to the event’s tremendous success, the city plans to hold an additional yard sale in the spring.

The City of Rialto, Calif., sponsored a parking lot sale at city hall to benefit local nonprofit organizations. The city invited only local nonprofits to sell their wares, encouraging them to use the event as a fundraiser. The city handled event promotion and provided vendors with tips on having a successful rummage sale.

The City of Victorville, Calif., partnered with the local swap meet to hold a community garage sale. Community members were encouraged to clean out their garages and closets and bring their surplus items to the swap to sell. Half-priced booth spaces were offered to those interested in setting up there.

Chabot College and the City of Hayward, Calif., held a “garage sale only” day at the college’s old-fashioned flea market. Instead of allowing vendors to sell new items, the market was strictly for used items, with free admission and parking for shoppers. Sellers reserved 85 spaces, exchanging more than 4,250 pounds of goods and materials. The event drew 2,000 people.

Donation Drives. Communities encourage the public to donate materials to their favorite charities. This encourages infrequent donors to make a special effort to dig through garages and closets in search of reusable materials. It also encourages those who never donate to get involved. Donations can either be directed toward community yard sales or can go directly to local charities that are able to accept donations.

Donation drives are a great way to partner with another event organizer, such as a school or the scouts, to increase donations and to instill the joy of giving in youth. School kids or boy/girl scouts could go door-to-door to collect items for the drive. Some donation drives have a particular focus, such as winter coats, which are distributed as cold weather approaches.

The City of West Sacramento coordinated an in-house donation drive for recreational and sporting equipment. Donated equipment was sold at a swap meet held in conjunction with another event organized by the parks and recreation department.

Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank coordinated an in-house donation drive to benefit four local nonprofit organizations. Employees donated “gently used” clothing, children’s items, art supplies, books, furniture, and housewares.

The City of San Leandro, Calif., sponsored a used coat drive to benefit the Davis Street Community Center. More than 500 coats were collected for distribution to local families in need.

The City of Ceres, Calif., worked with the Salvation Army to place and promote a donation trailer at a shopping center. In addition, other donation locations were promoted through local newspaper ads, fliers, and utility bill inserts.

Bulky Item Pickup Day. Local charities usually collect bulky goods by appointment. During a special event like Second Chance Week, charities may be able to cruise given neighborhoods for bulky goods without appointments. Alternatively, local waste haulers might be willing to pick up bulky items during these special events and deliver them to storage areas or directly to charities.

Curbside Exchanges. At curbside exchange events, residents leave reusable goods on the curb to be scavenged by other community members. Residents can sign up to be listed as participants in the curbside exchange. Lists of participating addresses can be made available at the local farmer’s market, the city library, and other public spaces. Local scouts and other youth organizations can help tally up the results of the exchange. Cambria, Calif., has done this successfully in recent years.

The Canadian city of Brockville, Ontario, organized a similar event called a “community treasure hunt.” The Brockville instructions were to leave any unwanted but still useful items at the curb in front of the house on Saturday by 9 a.m. and remove any uncollected treasures from the curb by Sunday evening. All treasures claimed to be in “as-is condition.”

Street Festivals. These are events with multiple activities at a single location. The Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro hosted a Second Chance Street Market in 1997. This event included a garage sale, organic produce sale, recycled product sale (featuring landscaping/garden materials and soil products), a Halloween pumpkin sale, and reuse and environmental information booths. More than 17 tons of used goods and materials were reused as a result of the event. Money raised from sales was donated to the local community center.

The City of Barstow, Calif., sponsored a second chance/make a difference day fair, which included a community garage sale, informational booths and seminars, a Halloween costume swap, and a “Community Chest Fashion Roundup & Rummage Sale.” More than 100 residents rented spaces for the garage sale. Fifty groups and organizations set up awareness booths, and 5,000 people attended the event. Leftovers from the rummage sale were donated to a battered women’s shelter.

Used Building Materials Events. Windows, doors, lumber, plumbing fixtures, and appliances can be reused for new construction and for refurbishing older buildings and homes. Some materials from old buildings are more valuable than their newer counterparts: old growth redwood timbers and Victorian fixtures can command high prices in some markets. It is also a way to preserve local architectural history.

For the last three annual community cleanups during Second Chance Week, Solana Recyclers teamed with The Reuse People to solicit reusable building materials in Encinitas. Solana Recyclers is a local nonprofit that promotes recycling in the area. The Reuse People is a nonprofit organization specializing in getting used building materials to the economically disadvantaged.

Solana Recyclers prepared inserts for trash bills and news releases for three local papers, and they left fliers at local construction stores. The local waste hauler, EDCO Disposal, printed and stuffed the bill inserts at their cost. About 5 tons of wood, windows, metal, doors, miscellaneous electrical fixtures, paint, tile, electrical cords, and couches were collected each year. According to Solana Recyclers, nearly 100 percent of the materials collected were reused.

Staff time at the event for Solana Recyclers has been covered under the oil block grant program. Solana Recyclers always hands out oil collection containers, oil center directions, household hazardous waste information, and facility directions at these events. The Reuse People view this event as an opportunity to do a bulk collection instead of a prior collection route to the area. For EDCO, the collection event is a required component of their franchise agreement.

Office Cleanup Events. A large amount of bulky goods are generated from businesses and offices, including paper. The U.S. Conference of Mayors sponsors its annual “Clean Your Files Day” for offices to reuse and recycle paper (some communities also focus on other office supplies and equipment). Other offices have organized swap meets or “white elephant sales” during Second Chance Week to encourage the reuse of these materials.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 sponsored an in-house swap meet for household goods. Employees at the San Francisco headquarters office were encouraged to bring reusable items that they didn’t want anymore to work and swap them during this event.

The City of Los Angeles Community Development Department held an in-house “white elephant” sale. Employees rummaged through their closets and garages at home for reusable items to donate for the sale. Proceeds benefited the L.A. Unified School District.

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Moraga Pilot Reuse and Cleanup Days

In November 1999, the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority (CCCSWA) sponsored “reuse and cleanup days,” a pilot collection program in Moraga to divert reusable items collected during Pleasant Hill Bayshore Disposal’s (PHBD) community cleanup. The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse (EBD) provided the collection services and handled the material distribution and sales.

The pilot program allowed the CCCSWA to assess the feasibility of adding a reuse component to community cleanups in their service area. This pilot helped:

• Determine EBD’s ability to collect curbside materials.
• Identify how best to communicate this program to residents in writing and over the phone.
• Predict the volume of materials to expect in the future.
• Ascertain types of reusable materials likely to be collected.
• Ensure that materials not collected by EBD were collected by PHBD the next day.
• Locate appropriate storage facilities for materials collected.
• Estimate the revenue potential from the sale of the materials collected.
• Determine the cost of providing this program to the entire CCCSWA service area.
• Determine the level of likely participation and the residents’ impressions.

The staff report regarding this pilot program was also the most thorough information obtained in the research for this case study. Due to the depth of information and analysis provided, this case study highlights many of the issues that need to be considered in developing and maintaining a high quality community cleanup program in the future that emphasizes reuse and recycling.

Pilot Program Description. The pilot program offered residents the opportunity to place reusable items on the curb for collection by EBD on the day before their community cleanup. PHBD collected any items rejected by EBD or intended for the landfill the next day. The program was publicized in the following ways:

• By direct mail brochure.
• Flyers distributed at three Moraga town events.
• Information in the town and CCCSWA newsletters.
• Articles in several newspapers (two articles in the Contra Costa Sun, one in the San Francisco Chronicle East Bay Edition, and one in the Contra Costa Times).
• Discussions at the CCCSWA board and Moraga Town Council meetings.
• A public service announcement on cable television.
• Responsibilities of the participants. The responsibilities of EBD were to:
• Operate the material collection services
• Hire and train employees
• Provide insurance
• Maintain records documenting the program
• Provided the expertise to reuse, recycle, and market the collected materials

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The responsibilities of PHBD were to:

• Provide route maps
• Provide a bin at the storage site for any residual trash
• Inspect and maintain trucks
• Orient the EBD project manager about the trucks and routes
• Redesign and mail residents brochures
• Design and print a material rejection tag
• Provide storage for the CCCSWA-owned program equipment (trucks and storage containers) while they are not in use

Valley Waste Management (VWM) donated two storage containers to the CCCSWA for the program and EBD took the collected recyclable materials, such as cardboard boxes and metals, to the Walnut Creek Recycling Center.

The responsibilities of CCCSWA were to:

• Provide EBD with the two collection trucks.
• Locate and lease a temporary storage site in Moraga.
• Assist in designing and promoting the program.
• Help locate partners for material distribution.
• Coordinate meetings and communication among the program partners.
• Collect evaluation data regarding residents’ impressions of the program.
• Provide financial support for the program.

Evaluation. The public and press enthusiastically received the pilot program. It also increased the awareness for reuse, thus moving the focus of the CCCSWA constituency up the waste management hierarchy. It also aided in diverting heavy and difficult-to-recycle items.

In the past, EBD had collected materials from other East Bay cities on an on-call basis; however, it had never served the number of homes that are served per day during the CCCSWA community cleanups. The pilot program proved that EBD could serve up to 800 homes per day. This is the typical number of homes served per day during the cleanups throughout the CCCSWA service area. EBD only missed one small area (due to map confusion) that PHBD collected the next day.

During the program, there were 190 calls tallied by EBD, PHBD, CCCSWA, VWM and the Town of Moraga combined. Of those calls, EBD received 136. Only one call addressed missed collection of materials, although six residents called to express disappointment that their materials were not collected for reuse. In these cases, EBD was able to return and collect these previously passed-over materials the next day.

Customers called primarily to request tax donation receipts, to confirm collection days, and to inquire about specific materials not listed on the brochure. There were no complaints regarding the trucks or the storage location. Finally, there were no complaints that materials were left on the street following the cleanup.

The CCCSWA commissioned David Binder Research (DBR) to conduct a telephone survey of 400 Moraga residents to assess their impressions of the program. The survey showed that:

• 80 percent of respondents were aware of the program.
• 84 percent would like to see the program continued.
• 95 percent said they would participate in the program in the future.
• Half of those surveyed learned about the program from the mailer.
• 55 percent of the Moraga residents participated in the reuse and cleanup program.
• There was a relationship between how a respondent learned about the program and the respondent’s likelihood in participating. The majority of participants (62 percent) learned about the program through the direct mailer.

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Prior to the program, concerns existed regarding the impact of scavenging on the program. Two people suspected of scavenging materials were cited. However, none of the program partners perceived any difficulties as a result of this activity. Additionally, some materials (namely bicycles) were stolen from the temporary storage site. Presumably, these were reused.

Volume and Types of Reusable Materials. The pilot program diverted approximately 20.5 tons total from the 4,560 homes served. EBD estimates that 20 to 30 percent of residents set out materials on the reuse day. This estimate is consistent with information gathered during the telephone survey. EBD estimates that approximately 10 percent of participants placed reusable items in a separate pile from other items. Ten to twenty percent of residents set out reusable materials on the cleanup (or garbage) day only.

EBD used two flat-bed trucks leased from the CCCSWA to collect items on the reuse day and put its own fully enclosed truck into service to collect additional reusable items set out on the cleanup day.

Of the 20.5 tons diverted, EBD marketed 17 tons (typically these are art, craft, and garden items), Urban Ore marketed 1 ton (building products), VWM recycled one 1 ton (scrap metal and cardboard), a half ton were reusable bicycles that were donated to the City of Oakland’s youth bicycle program.

One ton was diverted through referrals made by the EBD hotline to Moraga residents. Items collected included original paintings, wicker baskets, 150 bicycles, posters, frames, furniture, sporting equipment, hand tools, garden furniture and pots, rugs, and some large items such as wrought iron fencing, a spa, and a cement mixer.

Based on the DBR survey, 25 percent of the respondents reported setting out less material for disposal this year than in the past. DBR also provided a cross-reference of responses. This showed that of those who said they had disposed of reusable items in the past, 36 percent said that they set out less material for disposal in the November cleanup. Conversely, 30 percent of the respondents who put out less material for disposal had in the past placed reusable materials out for disposal. These demonstrate the program’s effectiveness in encouraging reuse over disposal.

Local Storage Facilities. One of the key components to the program’s success was a local temporary storage facility. It was not economically feasible for the EBD drivers to collect materials curbside in Moraga, unload them at its Oakland facility, and then return to Moraga for further collection the same day. Therefore, a local site was necessary. This site needed to be large enough to accommodate lockable storage containers, bins for trash and recyclables, and room for a canopy setup in case of rain. Ideally, this site should not be visible from the roads for security reasons.

The CCCSWA leased the parking lot behind the closed Rheem Bowl for six weeks at a cost of $500. When the trucks were full, the EBD drivers returned to this spot to unload materials. An EBD employee sorted the materials on site and packed them into the on-site storage containers. The employee then organized the materials for repacking onto the trucks for their delivery to Oakland at the end of the route day.

EBD continued to use this site for two weeks after the collection ceased to sort the material for distribution. Staff perceives locating and leasing a suitable storage site as one of the most challenging aspects of the program, since it is critical yet difficult to do in this service area.

Costs and Revenues. The CCCSWA used its remaining FY 1998-99 mini-grant funding of $19,303 to award the contracts for this pilot program. Staff estimates that the program’s actual cost was approximately $20,000.

Although this was nearly the amount funded by the CCCSWA, the actual costs of the program were different from those anticipated. Labor costs were overestimated, but EBD managerial and overhead costs were underestimated. Uniform costs were overestimated; however, the costs for cellular and regular telephone usage, gas, and insurance were underestimated.

Additionally, the original budget did not include a lease payment, canopy, and magnetized signs for the truck. It also did not include costs of using the EBD truck to collect reusable items put out with items set out on the cleanup day.

EBD’s projected sales revenues are $8,693 (including a small credit from Urban Ore). Given the program’s cost minus the projected sales, the cost per household for this program was $2.48, or 21 cents per month.

Future Plans. Staff is exploring how to implement this program throughout the CCCSWA service area. The EBD is developing a strategic plan to ensure the program is a sustainable effort. This plan will also seek:

1. Local Contra Costa partners, such as Goodwill or St. Vincent De Paul, to aid in material storage and distribution.
2. A local storage site that would serve all the member agencies.
3. Possible development of a local storefront.

The evaluation of EBD’s ability to manage year-round curbside collection in the future.

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Last updated: October 26, 2007