Tips for a Successful Recycle 

on the Go Program 

•	 Focus on the most prevalent recyclable 

materials in your waste stream. If most discards are plastics, don’t attempt to recycle only paper or aluminum cans. 

•	 Set measurable goals and publicize 

progress towards them. 

•	 Make recycling convenient. Place recycling 

bins next to trash cans. 

•	 Label bins with words and pictures showing 

what is being collected. Even international visitors will be able to Recycle on the Go! 

•	 Work with your vendors. They can help 

reduce waste, increase recycling, and help sustain the recycling program. 

•	 Promote recycling to the public through 

signs, loudspeaker announcements, electronic billboards, bin labels, and posters. 

•	 Monitor what is being recycled and 

thrown away to calculate your venue’s recycling rate. 

• 	Gather feedback from employees, the 

public, and vendors. Ask for suggestions to improve the program. Consider recycling additional materials as your program grows. 

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Have a good 

Recycle on the Go story? 

Send it to us and we might post it on our Web site. Please visit <www.epa.gov/recycleonthego> and click on “Success Stories.” 

Photo courtesy of Lowell Folk Festival 
Standing room only at the stadium. 

 Heavy customer traffic at the mall. 

Peak holiday travel at the airport. 

Capacity attendance at the festival. 

A record visitor count at the park. 

The crowds are gone and now you’re 

dealing with overfl owing trash bins fi lled with bottles, cans, and other discards at your event or venue. 

Tons of trash are generated outside the 

home at public spaces such as parks, entertainment and sports arenas, airports, and shopping centers. Most of this material could be recycled—but where are the recycling bins? 

People who recycle at home and at work 

look for recycling bins wherever they go. Recycle on the Go is working to make it easy for people to recycle when they’re out and about—shopping, playing, and traveling. 

Did you know?.... 

More than 240 million tons of garbage are generated in the United States each year— millions of these tons are generated on the go! Source: EPA 

Recycling aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy used to make aluminum cans from virgin ore. 

Source: Can Manufacturers 

Institute 

EPA’s Recycle on the Go initiative supports 

businesses and government agencies that are introducing recycling programs in public spaces such as parks, stadiums, transportation hubs, shopping centers, and at special events. 

Visit our Web site at


<www.epa.gov/recycleonthego> for
information to help you start and sustain
Recycle on the Go activities:


•	 Tools, information, model programs, and 

success stories. 

•	 Helpful hints for working with vendors, 

haulers, and recycling contractors. 

•	 Links to information on recycled-content 

products. 

Beverage containers account for more than 40 percent of all revenues earned in community recycling programs. 

Source: American Beverage 

Association 

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•	 Saving energy an

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