Q1: Cost control. I will likely contract the pick up service with an existing hauler.
Idea Description
Improve access to urban recycling services by focusing on areas of high concentration that are not served by municipal recycling programs. Many private condo's, apartments, business strip centers, colleges, and other private enterprises are not served by municipal recycling services except for remote drop-off centers. A key deterrent to recycling is the inconvenience of storing and tranporting recyclables to the drop-off sites. I would provide a fee for service to the community associations, business, etc. by providing a partitioned collection bin on site and either scheduled or on-call pick-ups.
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
Develop or purchase the bins needed to provide the service. The bins would need to be smaller than the typical "roll-off" containers one might see at a municipal collection site. I would also begin marketing to prospective customers and would work to parnter with local municipalities interested in enhancing their recycling rates to divert landfill. I would seek to leverage the award with public funds to provide public-service TV ads to demonstrate the impact that each person can have by recycling and to promote participation.
Vote for it now.
The city of San Francisco, and perhaps others, sort through the trash for recyclables. In the end this may prove more cost effective than collecting from those willing to separate.