Key principles
Bright bins
Make the bins colourful and bright, so they’re easily visible and stand out on busy streets.
Be Specific
People are confused about what to put in the bin and ‘mixed recycling’ gets mixed results. People spend less than 2 seconds at a bin, so be concise and give clear instructions. You’ll reduce contamination by focusing on quality over quantity. If you want empty plastic bottles and cans, say that rather than hazily asking for ‘mixed recycling’.
Bins need buddies
Don’t leave a recycling bin by itself. Place recycling bins next to general waste bins, or use dual bins. Otherwise general waste will end up contaminating your recycling.
Keep it positive and simple
Use positive, encouraging messages in your communications and avoid jargon. Repetition of these simple messages is key – we need to hear something 7 times on average before our behaviour changes.
Build a partnership
Work with local partners to increase the opportunities for people to see and hear about your new campaign. That could be through in-store posters, social media posts, or in-person events to raise awareness of the waste issue and the how to use the new bins.
Measure and make better
Measure what does and doesn’t work through on-the-ground observations, public surveys and waste composition analysis, and refine your approach accordingly. If, for example, you see lots of coffee cups contaminating the recyclate, engage local coffee stores.
