Skip to content

Dumpster Outreach Group

Why Dumpsters?

Most of the pollution reaching Puget Sound is carried there in stormwater runoff. Uncovered and leaking dumpsters can cause pollutants like chemicals, bacteria, and organic matter to end up in stormwater runoff. Rainwater mixed with trash can leak out and spill onto impervious surfaces that drain to the stormwater system when dumpsters are serviced.

Mission

The focus of the Dumpster Lid Campaign is to keep dumpster lids shut to protect surface water quality. The target audience is commercial businesses. This webpage documents the social marketing process to plan, launch, and evaluate the 2021 Dumpster Lid Pilot phase as well as ongoing efforts for broadscale implementation.

Contact: Laurie Devereaux, Susan McCleary

2022-2024 Campaign

The sign and sticker are the first of many resources coming as the 22-24 campaign develops. Changes were made to the imagery used in the 2021 pilot for the following reasons:

a) Increase graphic size

b) Utilize a universal dumpster image

c) Showcase human participation

Two sticker versions are available for download, one with the Puget Sound Starts Here logo and one without. The sign has been translated into nine languages.

The sign and sticker MUST be used UNMODIFIED. If you need to customize/modify these images to conform to the needs of your program please contact Laurie Devereaux or Susan McCleary.

Dumpster Lid Pilot 2021

 

The regional Dumpster Outreach Group (DOG) was formed in 2021 with the shared goals to:

  • Meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Stormwater Permit education and outreach requirements for Behavior Change,
  • Create regionally consistent outreach materials for businesses and inspectors to address common dumpster issues found during Private Drainage and Source Control Inspections, and to
  • Protect water quality by reducing sources of stormwater pollution from occurring around commercial dumpsters.