Reuse Assistance Grant Progress Report

City of San Jose Reuse Assistance Grant Project
(Part 3: January 31, 2003 to March 31, 2003)

Project Description

The City of San Jose used their grant funds to assist the nonprofit Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT) with expanding their materials reuse activities by increasing the number of businesses that are aware of and utilize RAFT's reuse services. The project increased the volume and types of items donated to RAFT by businesses and the number of school districts, teachers, and students utilizing and benefiting from RAFT's services.

The steps required to accomplish their project are as follows:

Task 1: Project Administration

Task 1.1: Maintain List of Reusable Materials. (5/02 to 5/04)
To better target materials that RAFT needs, Environmental Planning Consultants (EPC) and RAFT educational staff generated a list of the top 20 materials of which RAFT makes use. This list will be updated as needs change.

When RAFT educational staff told EPC that they were looking for specific materials, those materials were targeted from local businesses. One example is scrap pieces of metal window screen, which were obtained to build butterfly houses. RAFT drivers carry lists of materials that are being sought by teachers. Task 1.1 is 100 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 1.2: Maintain List of Corporate Donors. (5/02 to 5/04)
To facilitate the communication with RAFT staff, a new online donor form was developed. Task 1.2 is 100 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 2: Business Outreach

Task 2.1: City Promotion of RAFT Activities. (5/02 to 5/04)
EPC staff attended a City of San Jose garbage haulers meeting to explain their outreach efforts for RAFT. Hauler customer service representatives said they would alert specific businesses of the opportunity to donate to RAFT. 

City staff scheduled their hauler's meeting at the RAFT facility itself. Haulers toured the warehouse and discovered first hand the variety of material of which RAFT makes use.

A Valentine's Day singles' event, "The Sweetheart Sort," was held in cooperation with the Volunteer Exchange and attracted over 100 people. Many in attendance were employees from local businesses who were able to see first hand the types of materials that RAFT uses.

RAFT staff are working with an IBM employee to bring the facilities managers from Hitachi (which purchased a division of IBM) to RAFT. This will assure that donations will continue from the former IBM facility. Task 2.1 is 100 percent complete.

Task 2.2: Develop Specific Collateral Materials. (5/02 to 8/02)
Nine thousand brochures for business donors were printed. Cost for printing four color tri-fold brochures: $2,475.

An article was written for a local landscaper newsletter to let them know RAFT will accept end cuts from PVC pipe.

A press release, describing two San Jose businesses that are new donors to RAFT, was submitted to local newspapers in early February 2003. Each company's donations were highlighted along with quotes from management describing how positive they felt about donating materials to RAFT. This press release was picked up by a columnist in the San Jose Mercury News. Task 2.2 is 100 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 2.3: Open Houses. (Quarterly)
Personal tours of the RAFT facility were conducted by RAFT or EPC staff, allowing businesses to see first hand how RAFT operates and the types of materials of which they are able to make use. A major donor party was attended by about 120 business guests.

Tours of RAFT's facility continue. This past quarter a tour for employees of AMD, Lockheed, Cisco, Agilent, and others was given. Employees were encouraged to make sure that their company is participating in RAFT's programs. Task 2.3 is 100 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 3: Current Donors

Task 3.1: Waste Assessment Training. (6/02 to 8/02)
Due to a turnover in the truck drivers at RAFT, waste assessment training was postponed to allow the drivers to adjust to their new positions. Drivers have now completed their 90-day probationary period at RAFT and moved to permanent status. Training will begin at the beginning of May 2003. Task 3.1 has not yet been started.

Task 3.2: Conduct Waste Assessments. (8/02 to 5/04)
RAFT personnel continue to call and visit former and current donors to provide broader understanding of the myriad of items RAFT can accept. Task 3.2 is 97 percent complete.

Task 3.3: Collect and Distribute Materials. (8/02 to 5/04)
RAFT continues to collect and distribute the materials as a result of the waste assessments. Task 3.3 is 97 percent complete.

Task 4: New Donors

Task 4.1: Waste Assessment Training. (6/02 to 8/02)
New drivers have completed their 90-day probationary period and moved to permanent status. They are ready to receive this additional level of training. Task 4.1 has not yet been started.

Task 4.2: Conduct Waste Assessments. (8/02 to 5/04)
Informal waste assessments continue to be conducted for all new donors to help them to identify materials that RAFT can use. EPC conducts visual assessments of discarded waste with business staff present, so they will better understand what is useful to RAFT.

EPC continues to work to maintain positive relationships with newly established RAFT donors with follow-up visits and e-mails, as well as communicating with RAFT staff to ensure that a business's needs and concerns are met.

Materials that EPC is unsure that RAFT can use are evaluated for their usability by the RAFT's educational staff. Some materials are accepted on a provisional basis to see if they are indeed materials that teachers can use. RAFT educational staff work both in-house and with outside industrial design firms to come up with creative and novel ways of using the many unusual materials that RAFT receives.

As part of EPC's in-kind donation to the RAFT project, they have responded to several business requests for assistance in recycling materials that RAFT is unable to accept. EPC has assisted RAFT donors in finding ways to divert sawdust, pallets, and outdated computer monitors and has worked with businesses outside of San Jose not covered by the CIWMB grant.

A total of 121 San Jose businesses were contacted in this quarter, with 18 was assessments completed and 11 donations obtained. Task 4.2 is 97 percent complete.

Task 4.3: Collect and Distribute Materials. (8/02 to 5/04)
EPC continues to approach businesses in San Jose seeking donations of materials for RAFT. Businesses located in areas near RAFT were targeted specifically to help reduce the cost of collection. Specific types of businesses were targeted, as well. For example, landscapers were targeted for pieces of PVC pipe.

Donations of usable items have also come from individual small businesses that generate just one waste that RAFT can use. A company that makes vertical wooden blinds is donating their end cuts to RAFT. Other new business donors have included larger companies that are downsizing and have substantial amount of various materials including plastic silicon wafer storage boxes, office supplies and pallet loads of clean room paper.

RAFT's education staff appealed to EPC to locate old business cards, which are an ideal size and weight to use for bases of many small science objects that RAFT makes. Since business cards are an endemic part of the business world, EPC now alerts businesses contacted of just how valuable these cards are to RAFT. Task 4.3 is 97 percent complete.

Task 5: Teacher Outreach

Task 5.1: Invitations to Teachers. (8/02 to 5/04)
RAFT has been encouraging teachers to become members and encouraging districts to sign up their teachers for membership. Since September, RAFT has given $3.50 discount to 1,398 teachers. Task 5.1 is 56 percent complete.

Task 5.2: Develop Specific Collateral Materials. (6/02 to 8/02)
A new brochure for 2003 was prepared for teachers and 9,000 copies made. These are distributed in-house at RAFT throughout the year. No cost to this grant. Task 5.2 is 100 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 5.3: Open Houses. (Quarterly)
Since January 2003, Open Houses have been offered by RAFT to teachers on Thursday evenings from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Task 5.3 is 92 percent complete.

Task 5.4: Teacher Workshops. (8/02 to 5/04)
RAFT provided 25 Professional Workshops for teachers over the summer months, before July 31, 2002. RAFT provided 28 Professional Workshops for teachers during the fall months, before December 1, 2002.

RAFT has provided 21 Professional Workshops for teachers during the winter months of January through March 2003. See workshop schedule at www.raft.net. Task 5.4 is 92 percent complete.

Task 5.5: Facility Tours. (8/02 to 5/04)
RAFT has provided 17 facility tours in this period. Task 5.5 is 92 percent complete.

Work To Be Completed During Next Reporting Period

Task 2: Business Outreach

Task 2.1: City Promotion of RAFT Activities — 100 percent complete and ongoing.
Task 2.2: Develop Specific Collateral Materials — 100 percent complete and ongoing.
Task 2.3: Open Houses — 100 percent complete and ongoing.
Open houses and individual tours of the RAFT facility will continue to be conducted on an "as needed" basis. For new donors, seeing how the RAFT facility operates and how materials are used, has been particularly helpful. An up-coming Open House on April 24, 2003 will include the media, government dignitaries, donors, and teachers.

Task 3: Current Donors

Task 3.1: Waste Assessment Training.
Task 3.2: Conduct Waste Assessments—97 percent complete.
RAFT and EPC continued to conduct on-site waste assessments with RAFT's current donors seeking additional materials for donation. Contact is by telephone, followed-up with an on-site visit, when appropriate. On-site waste assessments are conducted in order to identify additional materials for donation. EPC submits one-time materials donations and business contact information to RAFT for follow-up.
Task 3.3: Collect and Distribute Materials — 97 percent complete.
Continuing as planeed.

Task 4: New Donors

Task 4.1: Waste Assessment Training. 
Task 4.2: Conduct Waste Assessments—97 percent complete.
EPC continues to identify and contact potential new San Jose business donors by telephone and on-site visits. RAFT and EPC conduct on-site waste assessments with potential new donors in order to identify new materials for RAFT. EPC and RAFT select businesses that are geographically close to RAFT. Companies discarding specific materials that are in high demand at RAFT are targeted, as well.
Task 4.3: Collect and Distribute Materials—97 percent complete.
EPC will continue to identify and contact potential new San Jose business donors by telephone and on-site visits. EPC will submit one-time materials donations and business contact information to RAFT for follow-up.

Task 5: Teacher Outreach

Task 5.1: Invitations to Teachers—56 percent complete.
RAFT will continue to broadcast to teachers about their services through e-mail and also through their presence at teacher Conferences.
Task 5.2: Develop Specific Collateral Materials—100 percent complete.
Task 5.3: Open Houses—92 percent complete.

• RAFT's Open Houses on Thursday evenings will continue through May 2003.
• A special Open House to celebrate a new program at RAFT is scheduled for April 24, 2003. For this, they have sent out formal invitations by mail and e-mail. This Open House will be covered by the media, and will include government dignitaries such as Congressman Mike Honda and Mayor Ron Gonzales. Food and refreshments will be served.

Task 5.4: Teacher Workshops—92 percent complete.
See workshop schedule at www.raft.net.
Task 5.5: Facility Tours—92 percent complete.
Groups of teachers are taking formal tours of RAFT at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings, prior to opening.

*Permission was obtained from grant recipient to publish project profile.

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Last updated: June 25, 2008