Curbside Recylcing Survey
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For
The City of Salina
By
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs
Copyright @ February 2003
SURVEVINSTRUMENT
SALINA RECYCLING SURVEY
Hello, my name is ---------' I'm calling from Fort Hays State University on behalf
of the City of Salina to conduct a 3-minute survey about trash collection and curbside
recycling. May I ask you a few questions?
Thank you. First of all, is your household located within the City of Salina or outside of
the city limits? (If No, go to QA)
Does your household pay for regular trash pickup [from either the city or a private
company]? (If No, go to QA)
[IF NOT IN SALINA or NOT PAY FOR SERVICES]
QA At this time we are only inteNewing households in the city that pay for trash
collection services directly, and not through a landlord or some other party. Thank you
for your time.
[IF IN SALINA and PAY FOR SERVICES]
Q1 OK, do you pay the City of Salina for trash pick-up, OR do ~u have a private
company collect your trash?
[Private companies include Saline Waste Systems, Harris & Sons, or Salina Iron &
Metal]
1 City of Salina sanitation customer
2 Private sanitation company customer
[8 Don't Know]
[9 Refused to Answer]
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003
Page 9
Q2 Does your household currently take sorted recyclable materials (such as paper,
plastic, glass, and cans) to the downtown drop off site called Images Recycling?
1 Yes (go to Q2a)
2 No (go to Q3)
[8 Don't Know] (go to Q3)
[9 Refused to Answer] (go to Q3)
Q2a How often do you take these materials to the drop off site?
1 Weekly
2 Monthly
3 A few times per year
[8 Don't Know]
[9 Refused to Answer]
Q3 If the drop off recycling center were closer to your home, would your household
be likely to recyc Ie more often?
1 Yes
2No
[8 Don't Know]
[9 Refused to Answer]
Q4 The City of Salina believes a curbside recycling program could be managed in
the city for $3 to $4 per month per household. With a curbside recycling proglram,
customers gather recyclable material in bags and other containers, and place~ them on
the curb for pick-up.
Do you feel that $4 a month would be a fair price for a household to pay for curbside
recycling?
1 Yes (go to QS)
2 No (go to Q4a)
[8 Don't Know] (go to QS)
[9 Refused to Answer] (go to QS)
Q4a How about $3 per month? Do you feel $3 per month would be a fair price
for a household to pay for curbside recycling?
1 Yes
2No
[8 Don't Know]
[9 Refused to Answer]
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003
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Q5 Finally, I would like to ask a few questions about yourself, What year were you
born?
[9999 Don't Know or Refused to Answer]
Q6
What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
1 Less than High School Diploma
2 High School Diploma
3 Associates Degree or Technical Degree
4 Some College
5 Bachelors Degree
6 Masters Degree or Law Degree
7 Doctoral Degree
[8 Don't Know]
[9 Refused to Answer]
Q7
Was your total household income for last year above or below $30,OOO?
[IF BELOW $30,000 READ THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES]
1 Was it less than $10,000,
2 between $10,000 and $20,000,
3 or between $20,000 and $30,OOO?
[IF ABOVE $30,000 READ THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES]
4 Was it between $30,000 and $40,000,
5 between $40,000 and $50,000,
6 between $50,000 and $60,000,
7 between $60,000 and $70,000,
8 or was it over $70,OOO?
[9 Don't Know/Refused to Answer]
a8
Is it okay for my supervisor to call and confirm your participation in this survey?
1 Yes
2No
[9 Refused to Answer]
Thank you very much for your time! [HANG UP]
a9
Was the respondent:
1 Female
2 Male
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003
Page 11
Fort Hays State University
600 Park Street
Hays, Kansas 67601-4099
Telephone: (785) 628-4197
FAX: (785) 628-4188
www.fhsu.edu/docking
The staff of
The Docking
Institute of
Public Affairs
and its
University
Center for
Survey
Research are
dedicated to
serving the
people of
Kansas and
surrounding
states.
Brett A. Zollinger, Ph.D.
Director
Michael S. Walker, M.S.
Research Scientist
Trevor Steinert, M.LS
Research Scientist
Joyce Wolfe, M.S.
UCSR Manager
Jean Leavitt Walker Jodie Wear-Leiker
Special Events Coordinator Administrative Assistant
If you have
questions or
comments,
and/or need
assistance ,
please do not
hesitate to
contact our
staff,
Salina Recycling Survey
Report Prepared By:
Michael S. Walker, M.S.
Research Scientist
Brett A. Zollinger, Ph.D.
Director
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs
Fort Hays State University
600 Park Street
Hays KS 67601-4099
Report Prepared For:
The City of Salina
Copyright @ February 2003
All Rights Reserved
INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY
The City of Salina contracted with the Docking Institute of Ptblic Affairs to conduct a
telephone survey of area residents regarding curbside recycling. Survey respondents
consisted of City of Salina residents that paid directly for their own household trash
collection either from the City or a private refuse collection company.
Surveying took place from February 3 to February 13, 2003. A total of 651 qualifying
households were contacted, while 461 completed the telephone survey - providing a
cooperation rate of 71 %. The margin of error for 461 completions is 4.6%.
The survey instrument consisted of 13 items (including two "screener questions"
designed to determine city residency status and whether the household pays directly for
trash collection). The findings below are based on univariate analysis of the survey
results. The survey instrument is presented in the Appendix.
FINDINGS
Survey respondents were asked whether they receive trash collection services from the
City of Salina or a private company (e.g., Saline Waste Systems, Harris & Sons, or
Salina Iron & Metal). Figure 1 shows that most of the respondents receive trash
collection service from the City of Salina (82%), while slightly less than one-fifth receive
service from a private company (17%). Three respondents were unsure.
Figure 1: Type of Trash Pickup
City of Salina
(379)
82%
Private
Company (79)
17%
Don't Know (3)
1%
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003
Page 4
Survey respondent were asked if they currently take recyclable materials to the
downtown recycling facility operated by Irnages Recycling. Figure 2 suggest that almost
40% of the respondents do currently take materials to Images Recycling 1. Specifically,
181 of the 461 respondents indicated that they do take materials downtown, while 280
(or 61%) do not.
Figure 2: Take Materials to Images Recycling
Yes (181)
39%
No (280)
61%
Of the respondents indicating that they do take materials to Images Recycling, more
than half (or 54%) suggests that they take materials to the recycling center monthly,
while about 20% do so weekly. A quarter of the respondents (25%) indicate that they
take iterns to Images Recycling a few times a year.
Figure 3: How Often Take Materials to Images
("Yes. Answers from Previous Question)
Weekly (34)
19%
Monthly (98)
54%
Don't Know (4)
2%
Yearly (45)
25%
1 About 4 % of the survey respondents voluntarily informed interviewers that Images Recycling provided curbside
recycling service to a few neighborhoods in Salina, and about .5% indicated that Images Recycling collects materials
from their households.
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003 Page 5
All of the survey respondents were asked the question: "If the drop off recycling center
were closer to }Our home, would your household be likely to recycle more often?"
Figure 4 shows that slightly more than half (51 % or 233 respondents) indicated that they
would utilize the recycling center more if it were closer to their homes (and presumably
more convenient). Thirty-four of the respondents (or 7%) indicated that they did not
knowif having a drop-off center closer would encourage them to recycle more often,
while more than 40% (or 194 respondents) indicated that a closer cite would not
encourage more recycling.
Figure 4: If Closer, Use Drop-Off Site
Yes (233)
51%
No (194)
42%
Specific questions about curbside recycling were asked. A short description of curbside
recycling was read to each respondent. Interviewees were also informed that "the City
of Salina believes a curbside recycling program could be managed in the city for $3 to
$4 per month per household." Respondents were then asked if they felt "$4 a month
would be a fair price for a household to pay for curbside recycling?" Figure 5 shows
Figure 5: Is $4 a Fair Price to Pay For
Curbside Recycling
Yes (287)
62%
No (146)
32%
Don't Know
(28)
6%
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003
Page 6
that a clear majority (62%) suggests that $4 would be a fair household monthly price to
pay for a curbside recycling program in the City of Salina. About a third (32% or 146
respondents), however, do not feel that $4 would be a fair price to pay. Six percent
were unsure.
Respondents suggesting that $4 was an unfair price to pay, or who were unsure if $4
was fair, were asked a follow-up question. This time they were asked if "$3 per month
would be a fair price for a household to pay for curbside recycling?" Figure 6 shows
that of those respondents answering this question, a clear majority (60%) did not feel $3
would be a fair price to pay. However, 47 respondents (or more than one quarter (or
27%) ofthose answering this question} found $3 to be a fair price to pay per month per
household for this service,
Figure 6: Is $3 a Fair Price to Pay For
Curbside Recyding
("No" and "Don't Know" Answers from $4 Question)
Yes (47)
27%
Don't Know
(23)
13%
Adding those finding $4 (287) a fair price to pay with those finding $3 (47) a fair price to
pay, suggests that 334 respondents (or 72% of the overall sample of 461) find at least
$3 per month per household a fair price to pay for curbside recycling.
The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003
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DEMOGRAPHICS
Table 1 below provides a summary of the demographic information collected from the
survey respondents. Slightly more than half of the respondents are rnale individuals,
and the average age is about 50 years old. More than one-quarter (or 27.6%) have at
least a Bachelors Degree, while almost all (95.7%) have at least a high school diploma.
Most of the survey respondents fall in the $30,000 to $40,000 yearly household incorne
category.
Table 1: Demographics
Average
Median
Yr Birth
1952
1954
Age
51
49
Female
Male
Total
Fraq
213
248
461
Valid %
46.2
53.8
100
Doctorate Deç¡ree
Masters or Law Deç¡ree
Bachelors Degree
Some College
Associates DegreeIT ech
HiQh School Diploma
< HiQh School
Refused to Answer
Total
6
29
88
113
45
146
19
15
461
1.3
7.8
27,6
52.9
63.0
95.7
100,0
30
25
5
0
20
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$ in Thousands
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The Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Salina Recycling Survey @ 2003
Page 8