SCRAP TALK
ABOUT TRANSFORMATION OF TRASH, LIFESTYLES AND COMMUNITIES
|
After soft launching a few modifications to the Bucket Swap program earlier this year we are ready to make them official. Here's a rundown of all the changes to the Bucket Swap program, starting with its name!  BUCKET SWAP IS NOW BUCKET DROP We will no longer be swapping your full bucket of scraps for a clean empty one. Instead, we’ll add your scraps to the compost pile and return your bucket back to you. To avoid any confusion we’ve changed the name of the program from Bucket Swap to Bucket Drop! WHY? Since last year the program has seen an exponential growth in participation from roughly 5 new participants each month to 30 new participants joining the program each month. The operations team wasn’t able to keep up with sourcing once-used buckets to fulfill this demand. In addition, Swaps required each hub to have an extra bucket for each participant. By switching to Drops we are making a more efficient use of our buckets, water, storage space and hub manager’s time! LEARNING TO LOVE LINERS! We will no longer be getting down to the bottom of your buckets to scrub them clean. Instead we’ll give your bucket a rough rinse after emptying your scraps into the compost pile. We will also provide you with compostable paper liners to line the walls of your bucket with. Make sure you use sufficient mulch at the bottom of your bucket and in between the layers to keep your bucket from getting sticky and yucky! Feel free to use a paper liner of your choice if you don’t like the liners we provide. IN SUM, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEANLINESS OF YOUR SCRAP COLLECTION BUCKET WHY? We did this to safeguard the health, sanitation and sanity of our hub managers! It was becoming increasingly hard to ensure that participants took care of their buckets. We were finding our team scrubbing buckets with maggots, dried gunk and absolutely foul odors. We hope you’ll agree that its time we elevated ourselves to being your neighborhood composters and stepped down from being your reluctant dishwashers! :) INTRODUCING PAID STARTER KITS Starting February 10, 2021, every new participant will be required to purchase a Starter Kit for $10. Starter Kit vouchers are available through the same checkout page as regular Bucket Drop vouchers. Starter Kits include the following:
Participants who were composting with us before February 10, 2021 can keep their set of buckets. However you will be asked to purchase a Starter Kit if you need a replacement or additional buckets in the future. WHY? We are committed to sourcing once-used buckets from local companies. These buckets almost always need to be upgraded with a screw-on, locking lid so they are user friendly and appropriate for scrap collection. Bucket handles also need to be repaired from time to time. All this takes time, resources and dollars. We are unable to continue offering drops at the rate of $5 per bucket while also absorbing the cost of providing the buckets and liners into the drop fee. REDEEMING VOUCHERS UPON DROP In the past we redeemed your vouchers each time you checked out an empty bucket. Going forward we will redeem your voucher each time you bring in a full bucket for composting. We are hoping that these changes will position the Bucket Drop program for ease and efficiency, with participants and hub managers, alike. We are also hoping that it will allow us to keep offering the program at an affordable price point and bring it to more neighborhoods in San Diego. Please be patient as we implement these changes through all our hubs. Do not hesitate to speak with a hub manager if you have questions or concerns about these changes or any other aspect of the Bucket Drop program. You can also email the operations team with your questions and comments. As always, we remain grateful for your love, your scraps and for giving us the honor and privilege of serving you as San Diego’s Neighborhood Composter! ROT ON! Operations Team
1 Comment
Paul Reynolds
8/13/2023 04:01:41 pm
Get swap bucket Leave a Reply. |