Free Tool Offers Visual Aids to Educate About Recycling

A national nonprofit organization recently announced the beta launch of a free online resource that can be used to help people understand what can be recycled. Whether at home, at the office, at school, at a sports stadium, or anywhere, the new DIYSigns tool from The Recycling Partnership can help educate.

“Engaging consumers on what can and cannot be recycled is key to limiting trash or other non-recyclables from making their way into recycling containers,” said Cody Marshall, chief community strategy officer at The Recycling Partnership, in a statement. “Residents need to be informed with clear, concise and consistent education in order for recycling systems to be successful. Our DIYSigns tool complements our other free resources and technical assistance to better inform residents on what they can recycle.”

DIYSigns is an online tool with editable templates available in a variety of sizes—from a bumper sticker to a poster—to fit wherever it is needed. The tool is available by going to The Recycling Partnership’s website. No special software is needed to edit the signs. Through the online tool, all sizes of the signs, labels and posters can be customized for any company, any jurisdiction and any type of recyclables.

“Whether at home, at the office, at school or university, at a sports stadium, at a gym, or anywhere, education is needed to show what is recyclable and where,” says Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership.

Dynamic Templates allow users to edit Adobe InDesign files within Webdam without the need for InDesign software or experience with the software. Some parts can be customized, while other parts can remain static. Users will need to have Adobe Flash software installed on their device or computer to use the templates.

Signage is designed to work for curbside recycling programs, multifamily housing, stadiums, schools, universities and offices.

“We know that consumer confusion is one of the top reasons why trash still ends up in recycling bins and carts. Our community partners have asked for our help in creating free and customizable posters, labels and signs, and we were happy to deliver,” says Harrison. “Anything we can do to help public and private sector recycling succeed is a boost for the industry. This tool, which is free and available to anyone who needs it, connects to our tested and proven campaign materials and will enable recycling programs to more easily deliver top-rate communications with their public.”

The Recycling Partnership, based in Falls Church, Va., is a national nonprofit organization that leverages corporate partner funding to transform recycling for good in states, cities and communities all across America. It offers technical, operational and educational assistance to communities in the form of free resources and grants to drive change in recycling programs across the country.

“The Recycling Partnership is a national force for improving recycling,” says Harrison. “We put private dollars to work in communities because we know that when we invest in a system to protect resources, empower sustainable action and unlock opportunity, everyone wins.”

The nonprofit also offers infrastructure grants, technical and education assistance and tools. Other education tools include a Guide to Implementing Recycling Carts, an Anti-Contamination Kit for fighting contamination in a recycling program, a Campaign Builder that creates customized graphics that coordinate with the contamination kit, a Drop-off Kit for convenience centers, as well as several Social Media Kits.

“We are so pleased to offer this free new tool to make customizable signs, labels and posters to anyone who needs to educate consumers about how and where to recycle,” says Harrison.