Curbside Recycling Participation Surveys

Our Final Survey
2019
Recycling provides one of the easiest ways people can conserve and preserve our natural resources.  The approximately 1,000 tons of recyclables collected annually in Forest Park helps:

  • conserve enough energy to power every home in Forest Park for 8 days,
  • reduces more air pollution than if every household in Forest Park rode their bicycle to work for 5 weeks, and
  • saved over 7,000 trees from being harvested.
Another benefit from recycling is the preservation and possible expansion of many environmental community outreach programs already being provided to Forest Park residents. This is because the Environmental Awareness Program gains financially for every ton of recyclables collected. Each year the Program receives, from the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste Management District, approximately $20 for each ton of materials collected. These funds are extremely important since the Environmental Awareness Program budget does not receive any funding from the City's General Fund.

Resident Recycling
 
11% of our budget
originates from recyclables collected by our residents.
Many Thanks 


 
Recycling "Participation Rate" Surveys

From 2007 to 2019, households using their curbside recycling container have been counted. Our last comprehensive survey occurred during 2019.    

The objectives of these surveys included:

  • discovering the total percentage of households actively participation in the City's curbside recycling program,
  • identifying specific streets that have high and low recycling participation rates,
  • recognizing those street with high participation rates with street signs acknowledging their efforts, and
  • targeting those streets with low participation rates with additional informational materials in hopes of
  • increasing their rates.

Recognition Street Signs

Ed. Specialist with Recognition Street SignStreets with exceptionally high participation rates (65%+) were recognized with attractive "Outstanding Curbside Recycling Street" street signs (the number of houses on the street also plays a factor of which streets receive a sign).  These streets are underlined below.   
 
The Environmental Program "reseeded" the community with recycling bins in October, 2008, October, 2013, and in November, 2018.  During that time, we also increased our efforts in promoting the curbside recycling program and the new, larger recycling totes that are now available.
 

OUR GOALS 
To reach a Citywide 60% curbside recycling participation rate
To have 75% of our streets obtaining at least a 50% participation rate.
("*" Have reached our goals)

 

Year

  

# of households participating

  

Citywide

  Streets
50% or more
Participation Rate
 

2007

  

2,692 households participating
out of
a possible 5,270 households

  

51%

  

55%
 

2009

  

2,887 households participating
out of
a possible 5,270 households

  

55%

  

68%
 

2010

  

3,015 households participating
out of
a possible 5,270 households

  

57%

  

72%
 

2011

  

3,173 households participating
out of
a possible 5,240 households

  

61%*

  

80%*
 

2012

  

3,234 households participating
out of
a possible 5,240 households

  

62%*

  

85%*
 

2013

  

3,215 households participating
out of
a possible 5,200 households

  

62%*

  

84%*
 

2014

  

3,678 households participating
out of
a possible 5,200 households

  

71%*

  97%*
 

2015

  

3,700 households participating
out of
a possible 5,240 households

  

71%*

  96%*
 

2018

  

4,000 households participating
out of
a possible 5,266 households

  

76%*

  N/A
2019

5,041 households participating
out of
a possible 5,266 households

 96%* N/A