The Task

In spring 2019, the NYC Department of Sanitation targeted two community districts (CDs) to receive intensive marketing to increase resident participation in their weekly curbside organics collection program. Public Works was engaged to design, plan, and facilitate six resident focus groups in these CDs to provide insight into which strategies successfully encouraged participation – all within seven weeks.

Our Strategy

• Coordinated outreach and logistics for six focus groups, implementing a participant recruitment strategy using targeted door-to-door canvassing and outreach to local civic organizations and identifying accessible locations across both CDs
• Developed a candidate screening process to ensure a representative group of resident participants
• Designed and facilitated interactive activities to collect feedback from 53 focus group participants on the “Make Compost, Not Trash” campaign’s success

Project Impact & Outcome

• Our analysis helped DSNY to expand the campaign into other neighborhoods by highlighting marketing collateral and messaging that promoted resident participation in the organics collection program.