It’s that time of year again. Time for reflection on the past year and resolutions about the year to come. As you reflect, what would you change about your recycling program or sustainable materials management efforts?
Where are you?
I think the first assessment is to reflect on where you are in your program’s development. If you haven’t already done so, I’d encourage you to read my blog posts about the evolution of your recycling program, ‘Have you evolved’ parts 1 and 2.
I’d also encourage all of you to read my various blog posts about recycling rates to see how those metrics can be used to assess and improve your recycling program.
Start now
Next fall may seem like a long ways away, but it’s time to start planning for it now.
If your fiscal year starts in July, folks are already setting the budget for next year, and in some cases may have already done so. If you want to do something that is going to have budget impacts, get your urgent budget request in now, if it’s not already too late.
This is also the season of planning for the summer construction season. Do you have something that you’d like to see in next summer’s construction? Whether that is high-aesthetic recycling containers in the lobby of a new building, input into the size or location of the trash and recycling rooms, the use of recycled-content building materials, the use of compost in the grounds and landscaping around the building, or any of the myriad of green building features NOW is the time to start pestering your planners and architects.
Make sure to look at the lead time required to get containers or green building materials. Some of those products with longer lead times may require ordering this spring in order to have everything go right this summer.
The end is coming sooner than you think
No this isn’t some warning about the Mayan Apocalypse. I’m talking about the end of the school year. If you are a residential campus, or a municipality with a residential campus in it, you are going to see a surge of “stuff” (trash, recycling, and bulky items) that gets left behind when the students move out. I’ll dedicate some full-length blog posts to this topic soon, but it’s never too early to start planning now.
Sharing your assessment and asking for help
Now is also the time to start looking around for funding opportunities from grants and foundations. Do you have a “business plan” for your program? Even if it’s just a mental list, have you thought about what you need, what it would cost, and what that would let you accomplish?
Have you shared that list with anyone? If you are a campus or non-profit agency, you may have a grants manager. Try to get a few minutes of their time to talk to them. If they know what you are looking for, they may be able to help. If nothing else, they may be able to give you advice on how to transform your mental list and personal reflections into documents that will help you approach folks that have grant or foundation money.
Happy New Year
Happy New Year everyone. Thank you all for reading this past year. Wishing you all the best in 2012. And for any of my overseas readers for who it is not yet New Years, allow me to preemptively wish you the best in the upcoming Year of the Dragon in case I forget to do so later this month.
Roger Guzowski
Enjoyable reading, as always. Happy New Year to you, too.