Since the start of the program, many lessons have been learned. Mandatory source separation by the user is one of the main reasons the program is a success. Every resident and commercial business must separate their refuse. Although this met with some resistance early in the program, it has paid off in the long run. Without a mandatory program, diversion rates as high as 65 percent would not have occurred.
Source separation is the most cost-effective and precise way to separate different waste streams.
This source separation model also saves greatly on site capital costs. Source separation also has the added benefit that the population becomes very environmentally conscious. They see what they are recycling, composting and throwing into the landfill firsthand. An example of this occurred when a resident entered a local grocery store and bought some apples, but told the cashier that he only wanted to buy the apples, not the nonrecyclable Styrofoam and plastic packaging. With Waste Watch, everyone must participate and pay for the program.