One of the essentials of a successful recycling program is easy to understand signage that educates users on what materials go where. SWACO’s Outreach team created the signmaker tool located on RecycleRight.org to support small businesses, industrial businesses, schools, non-profits – EVERYONE who wants to recycle correctly. Learn more about the importance of this tool with SWACO’s outreach team.
- Why are images needed? Images grab your attention and are more inclusive. Best practices tell us that images are better than words when helping people understand what materials go where. And research has proven that you have about 1 second to decide what bin to throw your item in. Images, coupled with different container openings (another visual queue) help the user to correctly put materials in the correct bin.
- How important is the placement of signs once you’ve created them? It is best practice to place signs at eye level above the container, or on the lid.
- Why do we need a landfill sign too? Describing where materials go helps users to make the correct decision.
- What types of signs are available on the sign maker tool? We offer 3 categories: Recycling, Composting, and Landfill. There are premade options you can download in 2 sizes, or you can customize and make your sign based on the materials you are collecting.
- How can this tool help businesses? Businesses can use the tool to create visually appealing signs that will help your recycling program be successful. The signs can be printed directly by the user, and the tool also has a feature that allows art files to have the necessary bleeds that a commercial printer needs when printing on various substrates to create a professionally printed sign.
Interested in learning more about the signmaker tool, check out our informational webinar. If you don’t see a specific material on the list, reach out to SWACO and we can help to create custom signage. If you want to start a recycling program, but don’t know where to start, email [email protected].
