NYCHA Weekly Circulars and Coupon bag Reduction

Every Wednesday morning (without fail) a large cargo van pulls up in front of my development and advertisers remove large garbage bags from the back of the vehicle. Each one of these garbage bags contains hundreds of bag of fliers with weekly circulars for local businesses.

They walk the floors of every building and place one on every single doorknob. Any undistributed ones (usually about 50-500 sets are discarded by the reams in the garbage.)

In this digital age this is such a waste of resources. While residents will argue many households enjoy these circulars. There are many who do not. 

My plan would be to

1) send out a mailing encouraging people to opt-out of weekly circulars

2) hire a group of employees to go door-to-door for those who did not respond to mailing

3) employees would mark those who want or do not want circulars with decal on door

4) list would sent out to circular distributor

5) My employees would collect those circulars which are not wanted.

During the grace period the circulars would be sent back for re-use (same week). After the grace period the circulars would be sent to the Sanitation Department for fines and penalities [Lawn Litter law (NYS Section 397-a).] Through out the pilot my employees will check building recycling or garbage containers for discarded circulats.

This program would save public housing in my development alone up to 49,920 pounds of garbage a year (1920 housing units x 1/2 pound average weight of circulats x 52 weeks) And it would save the distribution company printing and distribution costs, NYCHA building care takers expenses and be easier on the environment.