Urban Recycling
Curbside recycling for dense city blocks — night routes, contamination coaching and swept-stop service across 40,000 households.
The challenge of the crowded curb
Downtown blocks meant shared bins, overflowing alleys and contamination rates that made whole truckloads unrecyclable. Residents wanted to recycle; the system made it hard.
Wasteward took over six central districts with a simple promise: right-sized bins per building, collection after 8pm to dodge traffic, and a crew that coaches instead of scolds.
Our approach
We audited 200 buildings in two weeks, then assigned each one a bin footprint matched to its actual waste. Night routes cut collection time nearly in half, and building captains got a direct line to their route crew.
Contamination tags — friendly, specific, with a photo — replaced rejected-load surprises. Within six months, rejected loads fell to a fraction of their old level.
Deliverables
- Per-building bin plans for 200 properties
- After-hours collection routes, 6 nights a week
- Captain network with direct crew contact
- Quarterly district diversion scorecards
Results and outcome
- Rejected loads dropped to rare exceptions within two quarters
- Alley overflow complaints fell sharply after right-sizing
- Two neighboring districts requested the same program
- Night routing cut daytime truck traffic on main streets
