Bay-Delta 1999 Grass Recycling Campaign

Grasscycle!

Clip your Waste

A Regional Campaign

Action Plan

Submitted to the

California Integrated Waste Management Board

April 26, 1999

Submitted by the

Association of Bay Area Governments

Introduction

Reduction of lawn clippings/grass waste from the municipal solid waste stream can help local jurisdictions achieve their state-mandated goal of a 50 percent reduction in their wastes sent to landfills. Grasscycling is recognized as an effective and low cost method to divert grass clippings from landfill disposal. All program participants recognize the inherent benefits of grasscycling as part of current waste management practices. Grass clippings continue to be a large component of disposed organic waste. Grasscycling offers residents the opportunity to benefit from this waste material in a cost-effective way. We will use this campaign, operating in Contra Costa, Napa and Solano counties to educate residents, commercial landscapers, and others about the economic and environmental benefits of grasscycling.

Participating in this program, with county-level demonstration campaigns are the Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority and their local partners: the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority, and the cities of Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg, and San Ramon. In the North Bay our participants include The County of Solano, County of Napa, Val-Core Recycling, the Upper Valley Waste Management Authority (UVA) and the Cities of Napa, American Canyon, Fairfield, Suisun, and Vacaville. In Napa County, the lead campaign contractor is the City of Napa.

Objectives

The goal of the Grasscycle! Clip your Waste campaign is to develop region-wide awareness of the potential benefits of grasscycling for waste reduction. Overall objectives include:

Objectives of the Contra Costa Demonstration Campaign

The objectives of the Contra Costa Grasscycle! -Clip your Waste Campaign are:

The target population for this campaign is 282,641, the number of households in central, northern, and western Contra Costa County (ABAG 1998). This campaign plans to target at least one resident in each household of our target population. For purposes of establishing our program objectives, this individual will be counted as a "household resident." Of our target population, the campaign hopes to expose 90% or 254,377 household residents to grasscycling.

The campaign plans to raise awareness among 50% of the target population or 141,320 household residents. Residents out of this targeted group will at least be aware of grasscycling, understand what it is, and may know how to practice it. Finally, the campaign plans to encourage and assist 5% of the target population or 14,132 household residents to begin the practice of grasscycling as a result of the outreach and educational activities described for this campaign. Please refer to Appendix A: Contra Costa Public Education Campaign for details about the target populations in Contra Costa's objectives.

Objectives of the Napa/Solano Demonstration Campaign

The objectives of the Napa/Solano Grasscycle! -Clip your Waste Campaign are to:

The target population for this campaign is the 140,195 SFD households in Napa and Solano County (CA Dept. of Finance, 1998). This campaign plans to target at least one resident in each household of our target population. For purposes of establishing our program objectives, this individual will be counted as a "household resident." Of our target population, the campaign hopes to expose 90% or 129,775 household residents to grasscycling. This will be accomplished using the variety of marketing and educational activities described later in this proposal.

The campaign plans to raise awareness among 50% of the target population or 64,888 household residents. Residents out of this targeted group will at least be aware of the concept of grasscycling, understand what it is, and may know how to practice it. Finally, the campaign plans to encourage and assist 5% of the target population or 6,488 household residents to begin the practice of grasscycling as a result of the outreach and educational activities described for this campaign. Please see Appendix B: Napa/Solano Grasscycling Public Education Campaign for a more detailed breakdown of the campaign’s target population and program objectives.

Program Tasks

The ABAG role in this program is to provide program management and coordination, and to create region-wide awareness of grasscycling methods, tools and benefits. The following tasks are proposed to fulfill our objectives.

Task 01: Program Management and Administration. Developing and efficiently implementing the workplan and the budget are the responsibility of the program core-staff. Staff will administer contracts; approve invoices from sub-contractors; provide clerical and logistical support; organize meetings and distribute informational materials; and provide monthly financial reporting and budget assistance.

Products: preparation and implementation of workplan and budget; monthly accounting reports; quarterly and annual reports to funding agencies; administrative and staff support of Advisory Committee meetings; meeting materials and summaries; contract management; decision memoranda; matching funds solicitation (such as from other regional programs/agencies); mailings; and other managerial support.

Task 02: Develop an Electronic Public Communication Process. ABAG will design and maintain, on ABAG's high speed Internet server, a publicly accessible Internet Web site for the overall grass recycling campaign. The Web site would make available to the public, on a 24-hour, seven days per week basis, all documents and activities of the demonstration projects. This would include project design, meeting agendas, public events, draft documents and final reports. Web-based messaging would allow the public to submit comments on draft documents and proposals electronically, and could reduce the distribution of such documents in hardcopy. Additionally, an email distribution list would allow public comments to be sent to all project participants in near-real time.

A private listserv program would be established for the use of the Committee for the exchange of ideas, notes, documents and communications. By using a project Web site, and the resources of the Internet, ABAG can significantly increase access to work under-development and participation by stakeholders in the local government, business and environmental communities.

A semi-permanent archive of campaign results, information and literature would be maintained by ABAG on the World Wide Web for several years, depending upon the continued relevance of the site documents.

Products: A designed and maintained Web site for all project materials on ABAG's Internet server, that allows for real-time feedback opportunities for the public, will be established for the duration of the campaign. An Internet-based archive of all documents will be made available to the public upon completion of this project. Internet-based communications lists will be maintained for the use of the project teams.

Task 03: Inform Elected Officials about Grasscycling. Successful, region-wide implementation of grasscycling programs will require the support of the elected officials in our 100 cities and nine counties. ABAG would undertake to inform our councilmembers and supervisors about the methods and benefits of grasscycling within their jurisdictions. Staff would make presentations before the ABAG Executive Board seeking formal agency endorsement of grasscycling programs and activities. Information about grasscycling would be included in ABAG Service Matters, our bi-monthly periodical, and sent to all cities and counties in this region.

Products: This task would result in a presentation before the ABAG Executive Board, endorsement of grasscycling programs by ABAG, and informational material distributed to elected officials in 100 cities and nine counties.

Task 04: Inform Recycling Community about Program Results. ABAG would disseminate the results of the demonstration projects to public works, recycling and solid waste coordinators of the Bay Area local governments. This would be accomplished in a half-day workshop held at the end of the program. Activities would include: arranging for speakers; preparing and distributing a workshop brochure with an estimated mailing of 800; arranging for an event facility; conducting workshop registration; and preparing handout materials.

Product: This task would result in one half-day workshop about grasscycling to be offered to Bay Area public works, recycling and solid waste personnel.

Demonstration Campaign Partners’ Tasks

Educational and awareness raising activities will help the Contra Costa and Napa/Solano Grasscycle! -Clip your Waste campaigns expose residents to grasscycling, and assist many to adopt the practice of grasscycling. Developing awareness, and creating interest is the basis for instructing residents on how to grasscycle. This is why the campaigns have selected activities that will create new awareness and reinforce the message that grasscycling is a beneficial practice to adopt.

Outreach activities are efforts to bring information and instruction on grasscycling direct to the public. This component will use special event information tables, workshops, information distribution at composting workshops, a mulching mower rebate, grasscycling demonstrations and other activities to educate residents and supplement other awareness raising activities. Since many of these activities are interactive in nature, they will play an important role in influencing residents and others to begin grasscycling.

Contra Costa Demonstration Campaign Tasks

Task 05: Production of Grasscycling Brochures. The CIWMB grasscycling brochure, 10,000 copies, will be distributed at compost workshops, city/agency facilities, home improvement stores, lawn and garden equipment retailers, at garden clubs, and by volunteers at nurseries, special events and other appropriate locations.

Task 06: Use of Grasscycling Brochure Display Holders. Staff will obtain 500 display holders for grasscycling brochures and mower rebate coupons at distribution points.

Task 07: Articles/Announcements in local city, agency, and participating nursery newsletters. Staff will prepare articles, announcements, graphics or photographs promoting the benefits and practice of grasscycling and opportunities to learn more at local workshops or by viewing the grasscycling videotape.

Task 08: Grasscycle Bill Inserts. Staff will produce 10,000 billing inserts promoting grasscycling and the educational services offered by this campaign. Bill inserts will be provided to participating cities for inclusion with refuse billing or as an insert with city newsletters.

Task 09: Grasscycling Shelf Talkers. Staff will print 500 shelf talkers (shelf display tags) to promote grasscycling and local educational opportunities; for use in nurseries and home improvement stores.

Task 10: Grasscycling Demonstration Site Signage. Each city/agency participant will be asked to designate one or more lawn areas where grasscycling is practiced. Each city/agency will be provided with five 11x17 inch polyvinyl signs identifying their grasscycling demonstration sites and providing general information on grasscycling.

Task 11: Grasscycling Campaign Press Packets. Staff will prepare informational packets for distribution among local print media including press releases and examples of all campaign printed materials.

Task 12: Distribution of Grasscycling Videos to Local Libraries. Two grasscycling videos will be provided to each public library in the campaign area for display and loan to interested residents.

Task 13: Newspaper Advertisements. Staff will prepare and place eight display advertisements each month, in weekly and daily newspapers of the Contra Costa Newspaper Group, promoting the practice of grasscycling and local opportunities to learn about it.

Task 14: Grasscycling Videotape on local Cable Channel. The CIWMB grasscycling videotape will be played on the Contra Costa TV (CCTV), the local cable access channel, throughout the campaign period.

Task 15: Grasscycling Instruction in all compost workshops. Contra Costa County has three regional compost programs that conduct up to 60 workshops annually. Each workshop will include a 20-minute segment devoted to the benefits, instruction on how to grasscycle, and a questions/answer period. Informational brochures will be distributed for later reference.

Task 16: Distribution of Grasscycling Videos. The CIWMB will provide 500 copies of their grasscycling video for loan to permit in-home viewing by residents. Participants will be requested to return the videos for reuse. As previously mentioned in item #9, two copies will be provided to public libraries for display and loan.

Task 17: Grasscycling Demonstration and Photo Session. A grasscycling demonstration and photo event for local media will be held at Civic Park in Walnut Creek to begin the campaign. This event will include a side-by-side demonstration of lawn mowing using grasscycling and non-grasscycling methods. Campaign staff will be on-hand to introduce the demonstrations, describe the practice of grasscycling, its benefits, and answer questions.

Task 18: Special Event Information Tables. Campaign information and promotional materials will be displayed at information tables at the Spring and Fall Home & Garden Shows, Earth Day Festival, street fairs and other special events.

Task 19: Residential Grasscycling Demonstration Awards. The campaign will set aside funding for award of twenty lawn cuttings to demonstrate grasscycling. The demonstrations will be performed by local landscape contractors trained by campaign staff. Award of the demonstration cutting will be made by special drawings held in each region of the county. After all demonstrations have been performed, the residents will be surveyed to gain their observations on grasscycling. This information may be used in future articles or promotional pieces to promote grasscycling.

Task 20: Information Piece Distribution by Compost Network Members. The Home Composting For Busy People Program!, funded by the CCCSWA and San Ramon, sponsors a "Compost Network" of volunteers who assist the program by promoting composting in their communities. These volunteers will be asked to assist the grasscycling campaign by passing out campaign brochures and other literature in their neighborhoods or at local nurseries and home supply stores.

Task 21: Mulching Mower Rebate. Sale of up to 200 electric-mulching lawnmowers (corded and cordless) with a proposed rebate amount of $150.00 per mower. This program will begin in May 1999 and extend through September, or until all available rebates have been claimed. Rebate coupons will be distributed throughout participating communities and purchase will be made at local yard and garden equipment retailers. This activity will be used to test the demand for grasscycling mowers at discounted prices and to generate additional interest in the campaign. Residents who purchase the mower will be surveyed six months following their purchase to gather observations on grasscycling , the use of the mulching mower, and the rebate program.

Task 22: Mulching Mower Loaner/Demonstration. Eight electric- mulching lawnmowers of the same make/model sold in the rebate program will made available to residents and landscape contractors for a one-week trial basis.

Task 23: Program Implementation. Staff/contractor cost to implement and administer the campaign, including activity development, implementation, and budget management.

Task 24: Promotion and Education Piece Design. A graphic designer will be used to design and develop eye-catching promotional and educational pieces, including the program logo, modifications to the grasscycling brochure, newspaper display advertisements, shelf talkers, demonstration site signage, bill inserts, and special event signage.

Napa Demonstration Campaign Tasks

Task 25N: Production of Grasscycling Brochures. The CIWMB grasscycling brochure will be collected for local use with 2,000 copies distributed at compost workshops, city/agency facilities, nurseries, home improvement stores, lawn and garden equipment retailers, garden clubs, special events and other appropriate locations.

Task 26N: Use of Grasscycling Brochure Display Holders. Napa County will display of grasscycling brochures and mower rebate coupons in 50 holders at distribution points.

Task 27N: Articles/Announcements in local City, Agency, and Participating Nursery Newsletters. Staff will prepare articles, announcements, and graphics or photographs promoting the benefits and practice of grasscycling and opportunities to learn more at local workshops or by viewing the grasscycling videotape.

Task 28N: Grasscycle Bill Inserts. Staff will design, produce and, with the aid of local refuse companies, distribute 27,000 - 3 " x 5" (1/3 of page) double-sided billing inserts promoting the concept of grasscycling as a pollution and waste prevention strategy.

Task 29N: Grasscycling Bill Flyers. Staff will produce and distribute 5,000 8 ½ “ x 11” flyers for Upper Valley Waste Management Authority Customers (UVA includes communities in northern Napa including the communities of Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga). Their current billing system does not allow for the standard 1/3 page inserts.

Task 31N: Grasscycling Demonstration Site Signage. Staff will select two high profile sites (e.g., Kennedy Park Golf Course, Municipal Golf Course and/or Queen of the Valley Hospital) where grasscycling is practiced. These sites will be provided one 11x17 inch polyvinyl sign to post at their site identifying them as a grasscycling demonstration sites and providing general information on grasscycling. These sites will also be referenced at the time of initial campaign press release & packets.

Task 32N: Grasscycling Campaign Press Packets. Staff will prepare and distribute informational packets among local print media including press releases and examples of all campaign printed materials.

Task 33N: Distribution of Grasscycling Videos to Local Libraries. Staff will obtain from the CIWMB two grasscycling videos to be provided to each public library in the campaign area for display and loan to interested residents.

Task 34N: Newspaper Advertisements. A 3"x5" display advertisement will be prepared and dispalyed in the Napa Valley Register to promote the practice of grasscycling and local opportunities to learn about it.

Task 35N: Radio Advertisements. In Napa, two weeks of 60-second radio spots will be purchased on the local radio station towards the end of March/early April time frame. These spots will compliment corresponding print advertisements to reinforce the pollution prevention value of grasscycling. These ads will also strive to educate the public to the fact that grasscycling is an overall turf management strategy and can be practiced with a traditional push mower as well as with more sophisticated power mulching mowers.

Task 36N: Grasscycling Instruction in all home composting/yardwaste prevention workshops. Napa County already supports and organizes a series of educational workshops. These workshops are intended to provide detailed person-to-person instruction on home composting and composting with worms as well as the practice of grasscycling. Each workshop will include a 15-20 minute segment devoted to the benefits and practice of grasscycling. Grasscycle brochures will be provided at these workshops for later reference.

Task 37N: Distribution of Grasscycling Videos. The CIWMB will provide 150 copies of their grasscycling video for loan to permit in-home viewing by residents. Participants will be requested to return the videos for reuse. As previously mentioned, two copies will be provided to public libraries for display and loan.

Task 38N: Grasscycling Demonstration/Photo Session/Kick-off. A grasscycling demonstration and photo event for local media will be held in Napa on April 3rd, 1999 to begin the campaign. This event will include a side by side demonstration of lawn mowing using a non-grasscycling mowing practice, grasscycling with a typical gas powered mower and grasscycling with an electric mulching mower. Campaign staff will be on-hand to introduce the demonstrations, and to describe the practice of grasscycling and its benefits.

Task 39N: Special Event Information Tables. Campaign information and promotional materials will be displayed at information tables at the Napa Business Showcase (March 2, 1999), selected Earth Day events, the Spring Napa Home & Garden Show (May 14th-16th), and other special events such as the Town & Country Fair in Napa (August).

Task 40N: Grasscycling Posters with stands. Napa will use 8 polystyrene-backed posters for use at visible public settings (e.g., City Hall), composting workshops, selected dealer locations, and at special events settings. Solano County will produce the posters.

Task 41N: Mulching Mower Rebate. Staff will organize the sale of up to 160 electric-mulching lawnmowers (corded and cordless) with a proposed rebate amount of $150.00 per mower. This program will be conducted at the Home and Garden Show in April 1999.

Task 42N: Mulching Mower Loaner/Demonstration. The use of two electric-mulching lawnmowers (one dealer and one display model) of the same make/model sold in the rebate program will made available to residents and landscape contractors for a one week trial basis to help overcome myths and concerns surrounding grasscycling.

Task 43N: Implementation and Outreach. Staff from the City of Napa will implement and administer the campaign, including activity development, implementation, and budget management.

Task 44N: Promotion and Education Piece Design. Because of the tight timelines and in-effort to maintain cost-effectiveness, much of the graphic design will be shared by the three county programs. Napa has designated $825 in the budget to offset the cost of working with Central Contra Costa County’s professional designer. This should help to assure a more consistent visual look across the region and would include items such as the program logo, modifications to the grasscycling brochure, newspaper display advertisements, shelf talkers, demonstration site signage, and stickers for selected mulching lawnmowers.

Solano Demonstration Campaign Tasks

Task 25S: Production of Grasscycling Brochures. The CIWMB grasscycling brochure will be used with 5,000 copies distributed at compost workshops, city/agency facilities, nurseries, home improvement stores, lawn and garden equipment retailers, garden clubs, special events and other appropriate locations.

Task 26S: Use of Grasscycling Brochure Display Holders. Staff will obtain 200 holders for display of grasscycling brochures and mower rebate coupons at distribution points.

Campaign activities - Education and awareness

Task 27S: Articles/Announcements in local City, Agency, and Participating Nursery Newsletters. Staff will prepare articles, announcements, graphics or photographs promoting the benefits and practice of grasscycling and opportunities to learn more at local workshops or by viewing the grasscycling videotape.

Task 28S: Grasscycle Bill Inserts. Staff will produce, print and distribute 137,000 - 3 " x 5" (1/3 of page) double-sided billing inserts promoting the concept of grasscycling as a pollution and waste prevention strategy. These inserts will be included with local refuse bills.

Task 30S: Grasscycling Shelf Talkers. Staff will produce and distribute, for use in nurseries and home improvement stores, 2,000 shelf talkers (shelf display tags) to promote grasscycling and local educational opportunities.

Task 32S: Grasscycling Campaign Press Packets. Staff will prepare and distribute informational among local print media including press releases and examples of all campaign printed materials.

Task 33S: Distribution of Grasscycling Videos to Local Libraries. Two CIWMB grasscycling videos will be delivered to each public library in the campaign area for display and loan to interested residents.

Task 35S: Radio Advertisements. Staff will prepare 60-second radio spots to be purchased on, or donated by, the local radio station towards the end of March/early April time frame. These spots will compliment corresponding print advertisements to reinforce the pollution prevention value of grasscycling. These ads will also strive to educate the public to the fact that grasscycling is an overall turf management strategy and can be practiced with a traditional push mower as well as with more sophisticated power mulching mowers.

Campaign activities - Outreach activities.

Task 36S: Grasscycling Instruction in all home composting/yardwaste prevention workshops. Solano County already supports and organizes a series of educational workshops. These workshops are intended to provide detailed person-to-person instruction on home composting and composting with worms as well as the practice of grasscycling. Staff will present in each workshop, a 15-20 minute segment devoted to the benefits and practice of grasscycling. Grasscycle brochures will be provided at these workshops for later reference.

Task 37S: Replication and Distribution of Grasscycling Videos. Staff will distribute 350 copies of the CIWMB grasscycling video in a loan program to permit in-home viewing by residents. Participants will be requested to return the videos for reuse. As previously mentioned, two copies will be provided to public libraries for display and loan.

Task 39S: Special Event Information Tables. Campaign information and promotional materials will be displayed at information tables at selected Earth Day events.

Task 40S: Grasscycling Posters with stands. Solano County has the in-house capability to produce 28 polystyrene-backed posters for use at visible public settings (e.g., City Hall), composting workshops, selected dealer locations, and at special events settings. Solano County will use 20 posters and sell 8 posters to the City of Napa.

Task 41S: Mulching Mower Rebate. Sale of up to 160 electric-mulching lawnmowers (corded and cordless) with a proposed rebate amount of $150.00 per mower. This program will begin in April 1999 for both Napa and Solano and extend through May in Solano. Rebate coupons will be distributed throughout participating communities and purchase will be made at local yard and garden equipment retailers.

Task 42S: Mulching Mower Loaner/Demonstration. Electric, mulching lawnmowers of the same make/model sold in the rebate program will made available to residents and landscape contractors for a one week trial basis to help overcome myths and concerns surrounding grasscycling. Solano will use six mowers (four dealerships and two display models).

Task 43S: Implementation and Outreach. Substantial staff time from the City of Napa and County of Solano will be contributed as an in-kind match to implement and administer the campaign, including activity development, implementation, and budget management.

Task 44S: Promotion and Education Piece Design. Because of the tight timelines and in-effort to maintain cost-effectiveness, much of the graphic design will be performed in-house by Solano County. Solano’s contribution will include production of garbage bill inserts/flyers and development of grasscycling posters. Napa has designated $1500 in the budget to offset the cost of working with Central Contra Costa County’s professional designer. This should help to assure a more consistent visual look across the region and would include items such as the program logo, modifications to the grasscycling brochure, newspaper display advertisements, shelf talkers, demonstration site signage, and stickers for selected mulching lawnmowers.

Demonstration Campaign Evaluation

An independent evaluation would be conducted by the CIWMB for the effectiveness of the grasscycling campaigns. Local staff will also monitor performance of selected activities to determine if the program is meeting its goals.

Campaign Activity Evaluation

Although a separate evaluation methodology will be developed by the CIWMB for campaign-wide measurement of effectiveness, Contra Costa and Napa/Solano campaign staff will also monitor performance of selected activities to determine if this program is meeting its goals. Program activities that will be included in our evaluations are as follows:

Reference Task 8 - Articles/Announcements in local City, Agency, and Participating Nursery Newsletters. Newsletter articles and announcements will include offers for informational literature on grasscycling, promotion of the workshop, coupons for the demonstration award or other items that will initiate a response. Response will be monitored to determine which campaign activities in newsletters generated the greatest response.

Reference Task 13 - Newspaper advertisements will include offers for informational literature on grasscycling, promotion of the workshop, coupons for the demonstration award or other items that will initiate a response. Response will be monitored to determine program activities generated the greatest response.

Reference Task 15 - Grasscycling Instruction in all Compost Workshops. Workshop effectiveness will be measured by the number of individual attending and their response to questions regarding instruction effectiveness in the workshop evaluation.

Reference Task 16 -Replication and Distribution of Grasscycling Videos. The number of grasscycling videos issued and returned will be recorded. Evaluation response from video viewers will also be recorded and analyzed.

Reference Task 18 - Special Event Information Tables. Special event information tables at the Contra Costa Earth day Festival and Spring and Fall Home & Garden Shows will attract hundreds of individual to the program's booth featuring informational materials and displays on grasscycling. The number of individuals visiting the booth will be recorded. The number of individuals requesting information, a free video, or signing up for a workshop also will be recorded.

Reference Task 19 - Residential Grasscycling Demonstration Awards. The number of residents entering this contest to win a free grasscycling demonstration in their own yard will be recorded. Once the winners have bee selected and served, each will be surveyed to gain their opinion on grasscycling for future promotional use.

Reference Task 20 - Information Piece Distribution by Compost Network Members. Each network volunteer participating in information distribution will be surveyed to determine the number of brochures distributed, and the level of interest encountered.

Reference Task 22 - Mulching Mower Loaner/Demonstration. - Residents or businesses borrowing the mulching mower loaner unit will be asked to fill out an evaluation. These evaluations will help determine the effectiveness of this activity and the borrowers’ opinion on grasscycling.

Reference Tasks 25N&S - Grasscycling Instruction in Compost Workshops. Workshop effectiveness will be measured by the number of individual attendees.

Reference Tasks 34N&S - Newspaper Advertisements. Newspaper advertisements may include offers for informational literature on grasscycling, promotion of the workshops, or other items that will initiate a response. These responses will noted and can be verified by the independent evaluator.

Reference Tasks 35N&S -Radio Advertisements. The popular response to our kick-off/media be an indication of the effectiveness of this outreach from and may also be verified by the independent evaluator. Number of call-ins to the radio station could also be noted.

Reference Tasks 37N&S - Replication and Distribution of Grasscycling Videos. -- The number of grasscycling videos issued and returned will be recorded. Evaluation response from video viewers will also be recorded.

Reference Tasks 39N&S - Special Event Information Tables -- Special event information tables at the Napa Home & Garden Show and Earth Day events should attract hundreds of individuals to a booth featuring informational materials and displays on grasscycling. The number of individuals attending the event will be noted. The number of individuals requesting information, a free video, or signing up for a workshop will also be noted.

Reference Tasks 42N&S - Mulching Mower Loaner/Demonstration -- Residents or businesses that borrow the mulching mower loaner unit will be asked to fill out an evaluation. These evaluations will help determine the effectiveness of this activity and the borrower's opinion on grasscycling.

Grasscycle Program Schedule

All schedules presented here reference the time period of February 1999 through December 1999.

ABAG Tasks

March 1999 through December 1999

March 1999

April 1999 through December 1999

August or September 1999

December 1999

Contra Costa Campaign Timeline

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Napa/Solano Campaign Timeline

March

April

May

June/July/August/September/October

November

December 1999

APPENDIX A. Contra Costa "Grasscycle! Clip Your Waste" Campaign Audience Objectives

Activity

Served Population

Activity Repetition

Reach and/or Response

Population Served, %

Comments

ABAG Website

7,000,000

Daily

10,000

0.14%

According to ABAG

Daily Newspaper Advertisement - Central County

184,000

Daily

73,829

40%

According to CC Newspapers Marketing Statistics for 1998

Daily Newspaper Advertisement - West County

98,000

Daily

30,582

31%

According to CC Newspapers Marketing Statistics for 1998

Sunday Newspaper Advertisement- Central County

184,000

Sunday

79,962

43%

According to CC Newspapers Marketing Statistics for 1998

Sunday Newspaper Advertisement- West County

98,000

Sunday

31,115

32%

According to CC Newspapers Marketing Statistics for 1998

City Newsletters - Walnut Creek Nutshell

40,000

Monthly

36,800

92%

According to 1992 Readers Suvey

City Newsletters - Lafayett Vista

12,300

Quarterly

10,086

66%

Readership from surveys (WC, PG&E, Concord )

City Newsletters - Danville Today

20,850

Quarterly

17,097

66%

Readership from surveys (WC, PG&E, Concord )

City Newsletters - Moraga

6,800

Quarterly

5,576

66%

Readership from surveys (WC, PG&E, Concord )

City Newsletters - PLeasant Hill

13,000

Bimonthly

10,660

66%

Readership from surveys (WC, PG&E, Concord )

City Newsletters - Concord

52,000

3 issues per year

37,440

72%

According to 1997 Survey of 500 residents

City Newsletters - Pittsburg

24,500

Quarterly

16,170

66%

Readership from surveys (WC, PG&E, Concord )

City of SR Newsletter/Rec. Schedule

18,000

Quarterly

15,300

85%

Readers survey

Agency Newsletter- CCCSWA

60,000

Quarterly

49,200

66%

Readership from surveys (WC, PG&E, Concord )

Bill Inserts- WCCCIWMA

60,900

Monthly

NA

NA

Compost Workshops - CCCSWA

60,000

Monthly

769 total or 27 per 29 WS

1.30%

From CCCSWA

Compost Workshops - WCCCIWMA

60,900

Bimonthly

160 total or 20 per 8 WS

0.0003

From WCCCIWMA

Compost Workshops - Compost Consortium

90,000

Monthly

335 or 17 per 20 WS

0.0004

From City of Pleasant Hill

Grasscycle Video on Cable TV

283,000

Daily

NA

NA

Special Events

283,000

4 Events/Yr (8 event days)

2400 Booth Visits

0.008

Averaged visits from Earth Day and Home & Garden Events

Grasscycling Video Distribution

283,000

500 copies

650 loans

0.002

Appendix B: Napa/Solano Grasscycling Public Education Campaign
April-May 1999
Target Population:

> Target: Anyone who has a lawn, whether they mow it themselves or use a service. We will assume all Single Family Dwellings have lawns. The focus would be one on both male and female adults. The unit of measure would be households.
  Population Households Pop per HH SFD
  Napa: 123,340 47,978 2,633 35,696
  Solano: 383,620 132,840 2.951 108,499
 

*SFD includes attached, unattached, and MFD of <5 units data: CA Department of Finance Data – Jan. 1, 1998

  > Target: 35,696 single-family households in Napa
> Target: 108,499 single-family households in Solano
Exposure: This is the percentage of households exposed as a result of a public education campaign: brochures, radio ads, public service announcements, bill inserts, etc.
  > Goal: 90% of Target Population Exposed
> Target: 32,126 single-family households in Napa
> Target: 97,649 single-family households in Solano
Raise Awareness: This is the percentage that becomes aware of the message. In addition to leading to a changing behavior, raising awareness also has the potential to influence others behavior. For this effort, awareness will be defined as being familiar with the term, “grasscycling.”
  > Goal: 50% of Those Exposed=45% of Target
> Target: 16,063 single-family households in Napa
> Target: 48,825 single-family households in Solano
Change Behavior: This is the percentage that changes behavior. In other words they leave clippings on the lawn when they mow or allow their professional landscaper to do this.
> Goal: 10% of Raise Awareness=5% of Target
> Target: 1,606 single-family households in Napa
> Target: 4,882 single-family households in Solano
Waste Diversion: This is the resulting lawn clippings that are left on the lawn and are not put in the trash or composted in a municipal program. Assume 300 pounds of fresh grassclippings diverted from a landfill a 1,000 square foot lawn & assume a 1,000 square foot lawn per household.
  > Goal: Reduce yard waste, specifically reduce grassclippings removed from a lawn.
> Target: 1,447 single-family households in Napa equals 481,800 lbs. (241 tons) of landfill diversion per year or 2,410 tons diverted over the course of ten years.
> Target: 4,882 single-family households in Solano equals 1,464,600 lbs. (732 tons) of landfill diversion per year or 7,320 tons diverted over the course of ten years.
  9,730 tons of combined organic diversion for Napa & Solano counties over ten years.
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