Solid Waste Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling

This Capstone partners with governmental organizations in the Portland Metropolitan Region to increase solid waste reduction, reuse, and recycling through community research, education, and outreach. Capstone students may be involved in activities ranging from designing resources to educate residents, to assisting business meet the requirements for mandatory business recycling, to researching how to reduce waste, increase recycling, and implement composting at public events.

The Spring 2009 Capstone worked with the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability as their community partner. The specific focus was on outreach to Portland neighborhood business districts that are members of the Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations (APNBA) regarding new Portland business recycling requirements adopted in Winter 2009.

Capstone students will work with the community partner specifically to:

• Develop a series of newsletter articles about business recycling requirements for the neighborhood business association newsletters; and
• Pilot new outreach materials informing businesses of the new recycling requirements through direct outreach to businesses in three neighborhood commercial districts – Nob Hill, Central Eastside Industrial Corridor, and Portland International District.