Reuse Assistance Grant Progress Report

Kern County's Reuse Assistance Grant Project
(Part 2: December 1, 2003 to May 31, 2004)

Project Description

Kern County used their grant funds to kick-off an electronics reuse program for commercial businesses and residents in Kern County. Businesses and residents participated by donating dated electronics to the local, nonprofit thrift store network, including Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Collected electronic waste was transported to and processed by the Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens (BARC). Material in good working order, refurbishable, or marketable was managed by BARC technical staff and sold or donated through the thrift store network. Unmarketable material was demanufactured by BARC staff, with component parts used for the refurbishing program or responsibly recycled.

The steps required to accomplish their project are as follows:

Task 1: Consultant Time to Coordinate Outlying Communities and Nonprofits for Program Participation and Collection Events. (Ongoing)
BARC's consultant has contacted prospective hosts in the outlying areas to stage collection events. Hosts include local thrift stores, county solid waste facilities, and other municipalities. The reason Task 1 is 40 percent complete is that mobile collection of electronic waste has been temporarily placed on hold to reassess strategy. Task 1 is 40 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 2: Design Ads for Newspapers, Flyers, and/or Brochures. (Ongoing)
Newspaper ads have been designed. Task 2 is 100 percent complete.

Task 2.1: Print Ads in Local Metropolitan Newspaper.
Advertising in local papers for three events have been completed. Task 2.1 is 25 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 2.2: Print Ad in Outlying City Newspapers.
Advertising for three events have been completed. Task 2.2 is 25 percent complete and ongoing.

Task 3: Develop Letters Publicizing Collection Events for City-Wide Distribution. (Complete)
A draft flyer advertising the Bakersfield Metropolitan collection event has been completed. Task 3 is 100 percent complete.

Task 3.1: Supplies for 3,000 Copies of Letter. (Complete)
Printing supplies have been purchased. Task 3.1 is 100 percent complete.

Task 3.2: Print 3,000 Letters. (Ongoing)
Over 3,000 copies of the flyer had been printed. Task 3.2 is 100 percent complete.

Task 4: Develop Procedures for Collection, Storage, Safety, Documentation, and Transport. (Ongoing)
Procedures for collection, storage, safety, record keeping and transport have been completed. Task 4 is 100 percent complete.

Task 5: Train Collection Event Labor for Two Collection Events. (Ongoing)
Worker collection event training has been conducted. The supervisor of the Electronic Waste Department of BARC was trained and has exclusively handled the outlying mobile collection events. Task 5 is 100 percent complete.

Task 5.1: Train Collection Event Labor for Eight Collection Events. (Ongoing)
Worker collection event training has been conducted. Training was conducted specifically for the Bakersfield collection event. Task 5.1 is ten percent complete and ongoing.

Task 6: Purchase Pallets and Supplies. (Ongoing)
Pallets and supplies were purchased. Task 6 is 100 percent complete.

Task 7.0–7.3: Staffing Collection Event in Bakersfield and Rent Forklift. (Ongoing)
The Ridgecrest collection event was conducted but had mixed results. Participants were very happy with the service and the thrift store electronic waste collection program was highlighted to residents who were unfamiliar with the availability of local options. Participants stated that radio advertising would have been more effective than advertising in local papers. Two pallets worth of electronic waste was collected. Tasks 7.0-7.3 are 100 percent complete and ongoing.

Tasks 8.0–8.4: Staffing Collection Event in Shafter, Rent Forklift, and Trucking from Collection Event. (Ongoing)
The Taft collection event was conducted but also had mixed results. Only one pallet of mixed quality electronic material was donated. Even though it is very important to periodically advertise the electronic waste reuse/recycling program, the results of the first two outlying city collection events has led us to believe collection events may not be the most effective marketing mechanism. Also newspaper advertising does not appear to be effective. Tasks 8.0–8.4 are 100 percent complete.

Tasks 9.0–9.4: Staffing Collection Event in Ridgecrest and Rent Forklift. (Ongoing)
The City of Delano has offered the use of their city yard to stage the event. Tasks 9.0–9.4 are currently on hold.

Tasks 10.0–10.4: Staffing Collection Event in Delano, Rent Forklift, and Trucking from Collection Event. (Ongoing)
The Tehachapi collection event is on hold; consequently, Tasks 10.0-10.4 are currently on hold.

Task 11.0: Compile Data into a Progress Report. (Ongoing)
The progress report will be completed by June 2004. Task 11.0 is 100 percent complete.

Tasks 12.0–12.4: Staffing Collection Event in Tehachapi, Rent Forklift, and Trucking from Collection Event. (Ongoing)
The Shafter collection event has been placed on hold; consequently, Tasks 12.0–12.4 are currently on hold, and are ongoing tasks.

Tasks 13.0–13.3: Staffing Collection Event in Bakersfield and Rent Forklift. (Ongoing)
The Bakersfield collection event was staged with modest results. Over ninety vehicles were processed, however the electronic waste was not of high quality. Tasks 13.0–13.3 are 100 percent complete.

Tasks 14.0–14.4: Staffing Collection Event in Taft, Rent Forklift, and Trucking from Collection Event. (Ongoing)
The second Bakersfield collection event has been placed on hold. Tasks 14.0–14.4 are currently on hold.

Tasks 15.0–15.4: Staffing Collection Event in Kern Valley, Rent Forklift, and Trucking from Collection Event. (Ongoing)
The Kern Valley collection event has been placed on hold; consequently, Tasks 15.0–15.4 are currently on hold.

Tasks 16.0–16.4: Staffing Collection Event in Rosamond, Rent Forklift, and Trucking from Collection Event. (Ongoing)
The Rosamond collection event has been placed on hold; consequently, Tasks 16.0–16.4 are currently on hold.

Task 17.0: Compile Data into a Progress Report. (Ongoing)
The progress report will be completed by the required due date. Task 17.0 has not yet been started, and is ongoing.

Tasks 18.0–18.4: Staffing Collection Event in Arvin, Rent Forklift, and Trucking from Collection Event. (Ongoing)
The Arvin collection event has been placed on hold; consequently, Tasks 18.0–18.4 are currently on hold.

Expected Accomplishments During the Next Evaluation Period:
The County is taking a close look at the effectiveness of mobile collection events and their integration into the electronic reuse program model. The three objectives of the mobile collection program are:

1. Provide a convenient option for residents and businesses to donate their electronic waste.
2. Provide viable material for the reuse program.
3. Market the recycling/reuse program.

Thus far given the results of the first three events, the county has not effectively reached all of their objectives yet. They intend to strive towards more efficiently meeting objectives 2 and 3 by reassessing advertising and target markets. Advertising through newspapers has not proven successful, thus they are evaluating other advertising mechanisms with a focus on targeting commercial sources.

Collection events have been placed on hold temporarily to re-access strategy. A different model for collection events is being considered. Advertising will be more focused on providing on site collection service via a "collection day" route in various cities in Kern County. They are working on the details and a revised schedule of events will be produced by June 30, 2004.

Report submitted by Tony Bonanno of the Kern County Waste Management Department.

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

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Last updated: June 25, 2008