Selected Projects

Surface Water Issues

With a contract awarded by the City of Bellevue we recently conducted in-person interviews and focus groups with business owners about Best Management Practices related to stormwater runoff. The business survey was based on an extensive literature review to identify barriers and motivators for businesses to implement and comply with stormwater BMPs. The primary market research we conducted will form the basis for a social marketing plan of education and outreach activities related to the new NPDES Phase II permit requirements.

Transfer Station Recycling Survey

0On any given day, King County residents are queued to recycle at the transfer station drop boxes. The County was interested in finding out why the recycling services are heavily used and needed data on who the customers are and what materials they are recycling. The County also wanted to know what percentage of the transfer station's customers subscribe to curbside recycling and garbage collection. Ellen designed the survey instrument, supervised the field crew, created an Access database, and analyzed trends and patterns from more than 1,000 surveys. The results were beneficial to County staff since many of the outcomes could not be predicted based solely on observation. The data are being used by County staff to plan for future recycling at the transfer stations and for promoting curbside collection.

Natural Soil Building Program

As part of a team of evaluation experts, Ellen is playing a crucial role in developing measurable outcomes for the Seattle Public Utility’s natural soil building program. In response to Seattle’s asset management goals, Ellen has been instrumental in crafting a five-year evaluation program that focuses on behavior changes. The program goal is to educate residents about cultivating a greener Seattle through soil improvement, water conservation, and reduction of pesticide use. Ellen designed three surveys: 1) a phone survey to identify barriers and incentives in using the Natural Lawn & Garden Hotline, 2) a mail survey for customers purchasing yard waste bins and Green Cones to identify the target market, and 3) another mail survey for Green Cone purchasers to find out about customer satisfaction and use. 

Household Pharmaceuticals Survey

Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation (WCRC) is a non-profit advocacy group working to keep Washington a leader in recycling and product stewardship. With a grant from The Russell Family Foundation, WCRC contracted with Cunningham Environmental to develop the groundwork for a pharmaceuticals take-back pilot project that will make unwanted household pharmaceuticals as easy to return as they are to purchase. One of the main motivations for the project is that in the past people have been told to flush unwanted medicines down the toilet where they enter surface water. Ellen designed a phone survey of King County residents to determine disposal practices, awareness of the environmental impacts of disposal options, and willingness to utilize pharmacy drop-off programs. She identified the optimal method for fielding this survey within their budgetary constraints. The survey results supported the viability to pilot test a take-back program of unwanted medicines.

Ellen recently completed the next phase of the program, called the Medicines Take-Back Program. She designed self-administered surveys for Group Health pharmacy customers aimed at uncovering motivators and barriers to using the medicine return dropbox. Ellen also designed an on-line survey for the pharmacists to uncover their level of engagement with project and get feedback about their attitudes towards the pilot program and suggestions for improvement. The results of both these surveys will be used to modify the program before expanding it to nursing homes and other pharmacies throughout western Washington.

Electronics Recycling Pilot Project

Electronic waste (e-waste) including computers, monitors, TVs, and cell phones, is a rapidly growing problem. With advances in technology and lower prices, electronic products are replaced as often as every two years. The International Association of Electronics Recyclers predicts that by 2010, Americans will be tossing 400 million electronic devices annually. When considering the usage and trends from all sectors, it is estimated that about one billion units of computer equipment will become scrap between now and 2010.

Office Depot launched a national electronics recycling pilot during the summer of 2004. Working with the Northwest Product Stewardship Council government partners, Ellen synthesized voluminous data collected at the Office Depot distribution docks and the recycling facility in California. The report, used to support legislation for electronic waste recycling programs, presented detailed information on the materials recycled, an analysis of the logistics model used, and program costs. As part of a regional case study, Ellen interviewed store managers to uncover obstacles encountered in the pilot and recommendations for a full-scale program. The goals of the regional case study were to determine the effects of local publicity on the volumes of materials collected through the pilot project, determine the level of customer satisfaction with the project, and assess store manager’s perceptions of the project.

Food Waste Compost Survey

Seattle Public Utilities is educating residents to reduce the amount of waste going into the garbage can and down the garbage disposal. In coordination with Seattle Tilth, Cunningham Environmental designed a phone survey to gauge the interest level in residential food waste composting using Green Cones. The results of the 600 residents showed a high level of interest in food waste composting, but there were also statistically significant differences based on demographic characteristics. A marketing plan based on the segmentation analysis was developed to target the most likely purchasers of Green Cones in preparation of a large-scale sales event.

Solid Waste and Recycling Survey

Cunningham Environmental was selected by the City of Issaquah to conduct a telephone survey of its residents about their practices and opinions on garbage, recycling and yard waste collection, as well as core values about environmental issues. The City was considering changes to how recyclables are collected and also wanted to be responsive to resident’s concerns and needs about solid waste issues. The sample included two groups, single family and multi-family residents, since their collection systems differ. Ellen designed the survey instrument, prepared a sampling plan, managed the fielding of the survey, and analyzed the results. The City used the results to target their education efforts for all residential customers.

Statewide Litter Survey

Washington State has a growing litter problem. In 2004, crews collected more than 6 million pounds of litter. The Department of Ecology has conducted biannual surveys of litter along roadways and areas used by the public to determine the quantity and composition of the litter and reasons why people litter. Ellen devised a methodology for selecting the 250 sample sites. After the team developed the list of land use categories, the next steps involved defining the universe of potential sites and randomly selecting the candidate sites for inclusion in the study. The protocols used to list the universe of potential sites differed for each category. Ellen used definitions and data from the U.S. Census Bureau to make the methodology credible. A range of databases that could define all potential sites were used and modified to match the land use categories in this study. Ellen developed defensible protocols for selecting sites for those categories with an unmanageable number of potential sites. The result of the first litter survey culminated in a public education campaign “Litter and It Will Hurt”.

Residential Backyard Composting Program

Seattle Public Utilities was at the forefront in the late 1980’s for promoting recycling and resource conservation. At that time they began offering compost bins at a reduced price and educational materials to encourage waste reduction and soil enhancement. The program has been enormously successful, boasting a near 20% participation rate among single-family residences. Cunningham Environmental conducted annual program evaluations of Seattle's yard waste bin distribution program during its first decade. The evaluation focused on use and satisfaction with the bins, compost product, quantity of yard waste diverted, and usefulness of the educational programs. Responsibilities included designing the survey instruments, administering telephone surveys of 400 participants each year, and documenting the methodology and results. Recommendations developed from the evaluation resulted in changes in the bin design, educational materials, and program logistics. Ellen integrated the results from six phone surveys to analyze trends over the 10-year period of the program. The effects of key variables - bin type, mode of educating the resident, and length of bin ownership - on bin use and satisfaction were analyzed. The results of the programmatic evaluation helped focus the client on the future direction of the project.

Copyright © 2006-2008, Cunningham Environmental Consulting, Inc.