Free, downloadable recycling bin signs available

Free, downloadable recycling signs are now available from the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM). The files for the signs can be downloaded at no cost from RecycleMinnesota.org and RecycleMoreMinnesota.org websites.

Through a partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), RAM created standardized recycling bin signs intended for use at home, in schools and offices, and in other settings where recycling is offered.

“Standardized signs create familiarity and recognition of the opportunity to recycle,” Mark Rust, supervisor of the Sustainable Materials Management unit at the MPCA, said. “By making the act of recycling as easy as possible and educating the public about the importance of recycling, we hope to improve Minnesota’s stagnant recycling rate.”

In 2004, the MPCA, through its Recycle More Minnesota campaign, began offering free recycling promotional tools to communities throughout the state. After enhancing the campaign with the development of extensive school recycling resources, adding standardized recycling signage was the logical next step.

“After working with many school recycling programs, we realized that standardized signage was a crucial missing piece to program success,” said Johanna Kertesz, Environmental Program Coordinator at the MPCA.

RAM, a nonprofit organization focused on education and promotion of recycling, offers free tools and resources for Minnesotans to recycle more through niche recycling programs. As a compliment to those programs, and to offer additional resources for recycling to the public, RAM’s goal was to have free downloadable recycling bin signs for anyone to use.

The design of the standardized recycling signs is clear and simple, with each sign including bold images and a few descriptive words. The intent of this straightforward layout is to catch the potential recycler’s eye and quickly communicate where to place a can, bottle or piece of paper. Currently, signs are available as noneditable documents that can be downloaded and printed. However, in the near future RAM will offer an online customization tool to add a logo, a different recyclable image or additional instructions.

Tags: news, updates, recycle