My Community Recycles, Toronto Community Housing's recycling improvement program, has been designed to build momentum slowly and consistently across all TCHC communities. It involves tenants encouraging other tenants to participate in recycling, and providing frequent and varied motivations and reminders to tenants.
Another key component of any successful recycling strategy is making recycling as convenient as possible for tenants.  Waste and recycling areas in many communities have been improved and strong, reusable bags in which tenants can collect their recyclables and transport them to the recycling collection areas in their community are currently being distributed.

Toronto Community Housing will be providing tenants with regular reminders and incentives. Initially, these will include fridge magnets to remind tenants of what can be recycled.  Later, communities will receive a series of different posters, some new signs for garbage enclosures and chute rooms, and new stickers for the recycling containers. Tenants and staff are incorporating recycling promotion in their community events.  Over time, new reminders and incentives will be developed, and promoting recycling in community events will be ongoing.

All Toronto Community Housing community staff have received recycling improvement training.  Staff are sharing the information they learned at these training sessions with tenants. Additional resources for tenants and staff are being developed including more information on successful outreach strategies, potential funding opportunities, potential community partners, and links to educational resources for children and youth.
 
Improving recycling in our communities will of course be a long term effort.  Multi-residential recycling rates tend to be low.  Currently, in the City of Toronto, multi-residential communities have an average recycling rate of 13%.  Toronto Community Housing's goal is to reach a 26% recycling rate by the end of 2008.  Hopefully we will surpass that in most if not all communities.  But the work will continue in subsequent years in order to meet the City of Toronto’s 70% diversion target by 2010.  On going promotion of diversion with fresh reminders and incentives, along with incoming changes such as the introduction of organics collection in multi-residential communities in 2008, and conversion to individual household pick up in townhouse communities also starting in 2008, will be some of the key elements that will help us achieve that goal.