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Best Practices
Paper recycling is being done in ways that are convenient, cost-effective, and that produce clean, high quality recovered paper. Read these success stories to find out how other cities, schools, colleges, and workplaces have developed strong recycling programs.
- Residential Success Stories
- Office Success Stories
- College and University Success Stories
- K-12 School Success Stories
- Sample Contract Language
- Sample Ordinances
Residential Success Stories
- San Francisco’s 3-Cart Recycling Program
provides residents with three color-coded carts for their compost, commingled recyclables, and waste in efforts to reach a 50 percent recycling goal. The program collects clean, uncontaminated paper in the commingled cart, but composts paper contaminated with food waste. - South Kingston, Rhode Island’s Pay-As-You-Throw program recycles paper as a successful strategy to reach its 40 percent recycling rate in its seasonal community of 22,000 to 30,000 residents.
- The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Annual Recycling Awards showcase recycling leaders from businesses, communities, schools, and individuals. Read about what made Seattle, Washington and Northfield, Minnesota recycling standouts among large and small communities.
Office Success Stories
- Metro’s Paper Recycling Box Campaign: Learn about the recycling efforts of offices around Portland, Oregon.
- Recycling: It starts with you (PDF): (8 pp, 167 K, about PDF) Read AF&PA’s guide to recycling at work.
- Clean Your Files Day: Learn about the office recycling initiative sponsored by the US Conference of Mayors.
Colleges and Universities Success Stories
- Campus Zero Waste: See how colleges and universities around the country have reduced campus waste, recycled at moving days, special events, and stadiums, and developed SMART recycling strategies.
- University of Oregon’s Campus Recycling Program: From the Reduce Reuse Refill Campaign, to information about buying recycled, this comprehensive site details how the University of Oregon is recycling and how any other school can do the same.
- Tufts Recycles! Program: Find recycling statistics, information about composting, and reasons why to recycle.
- RecycleMania: This annual, 10-week competition among university recycling programs is helping to reduce waste in a fun, proactive way. Sign up and receive assistance on starting your own school-wide recycling program.
K-12 School Success Stories
- AF&PA Recycling Awards: Learn how other schools across the country have developed and maintained successful recycling programs.
Sample Contract Language
Find examples of language you can use when drafting contracts related to recycling.
- Conservatree’s Sample Contract Language (PDF): (104 pp, 1.3 MB, about PDF) Starting on page 98 of the Single Stream Recycling Best Practices Guide, refer to Conservatree’s sample contract language.
- King County’s Sample Contract Language: King County, Washington, has developed general contract language for use in contracts for the procurement of recycled and environmentally preferable products.
Sample Ordinances
Use these sample ordinances and policies when developing regulations related to recycling and waste reduction. Please note, not all of these links are specific to paper recycling.
- EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Database: Find existing contract and policy language for paper and paper products.
- Large Event and Venue Waste Reduction Model Ordinance: Also find a general plan template, both provided by the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
- Sample County Recycling Ordinance (PDF): (4 pp, 32 K, about PDF) Read definitions and a sample ordinance from the West Virginia Solid Waste Management Board.
- Sample Ordinance for Multi-Family Recycling (PDF): (4 pp, 194 K, about PDF) See an example from North Carolina’s Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA).
- Synthesis/Regeneration Magazine: Refer to Tim Keating’s article “Paper Consumption and Recycling Ordinances.”
