Communications are fundamental to recycling

The comments came in a presentation on behaviour change at the LARAC Conference and Awards, which took place in Nottingham last week (October 17). The session also saw presentations by Diana Caldwell, marketing and communications manager at the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) and David Hall, executive director of Behaviour Change.

Speaking to the local authority recycling officers, Ms Bowe said achieving high quality and quantities of recycling will not happen unless effective communications are in place to back it up.

She said: It [communications] really is fundamental. It is not just a fluffy add on. Quality and quantity of recyclables and residents using their services properly is not going to happen if you dont communicate effectively.

England has made great progress with recycling rates increasing from 18% to 43% over the last decade, Ms Bowe commented. Significant service improvements have helped this but she said it had been supported by investment in national and regional communication campaigns.

She explained: It is not just communications of course. The services on the ground for the public have changed dramatically over that period [ten years] but the investment in new services needs to be complemented by communications.
Ms Bowe added that communicating with residents on recycling services is more important than it has ever been especially with the bad publicity the industry has faced in recent years.

Discussing the impact of this, in particular stories negative stories in the press, Ms Bowe said: Things like this havent helped and they have dented the publics confidence and undermined our credibility over what we do. However, it hasnt had as much of an impact on the public confidence as some in the industry think it has.

Barriers

WRAP is also commissioning some research on the barriers to recycling, which offers an update on a 2008 study into the same topic. The research is being undertaken by MEL. In 2008 four main barriers were found to recycling, they were:

• Situational the system used and property type;

• Behaviour understanding what people do;

• Knowledge understanding how to use the recycling system; and,

• Attitudes and perception what motivates people to act.

Discussing the findings of the 2013/14 research so far, Ms Bowe said: There are three stages to the barrier work and the first phase has come to an end very, very recently. The other parts are still to take place. Really, so far the findings that have come through from MEL are that the public models around the barriers are still valid and havent changed dramatically. The situational barriers do still continue to dominate.

She added: Something that is coming out from the research is that peoples life stages and the level of organisation in their households plays a part.

Once complete, WRAP is expected to publish their findings and could potentially issue guidance to help local authorities improve.

Recycle Now

During her speech, Ms Bowe gave an update on the Recycle Now communications campaign, which is in its tenth year and noted the progress made by the on-pack recycling label.

Under the Recycle Now scheme, WRAP undertakes research into the publics attitudes and behaviours with regards to recycling. Giving an update on what the 2013 tracker has found so far, ahead of its publication which is expected soon, Ms Bowe said only 24% of households in Britain correctly recycle all of the materials collected at the kerbside. Meanwhile, 13% of households put items which are not collected for recycling in their recycling container while 17% of households put two or more items which are collected for recycling in the residual waste bin.

Pots tubs and trays as well as tetrapak and carrier bags have the highest level of incorrect recycling at the kerbside, with 23%, 22% and 14% of people, respectively, putting them in their recycling container even though the materials are not collected for recycling.

Alupro

Also in the session on behaviour change, Diana Caldwell from Alupro, highlighted the recent launch of a joint communications campaign with British Glass called Leave your cap on (see letsrecycle.com story).

Ms Caldwell also gave an update on the metal matters campaign which is managed by Alupro, a not-for-profit organisation designed to help encourage the recycling of aluminium packaging. Highlighting the benefits of the scheme, Ms Caldwell said it was a tried and tested campaign and can easily be integrated into existing local authority communications.

Human nature

Meanwhile, executive director of consultancy Behaviour Change David Hall took to the podium with his session on what government and local authorities could do to combat public apathy surrounding recycling.

Mr Hall listed a number of factors that could affect a councils communications campaign including personal issues such as divorce, time, space, and questions of credibility highlighted in the national press. He said: People are more interested in what they might be wasting rather than what they might be saving. We are also very influenced by what other people do, and we need to look at opt out rather than opt in systems.

Sometimes though it comes down to human nature. If someone says I do not want to go to the bin because it is raining, it is very hard to change that kind of thinking.