Defra considering residual waste campaign

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has asked for companies to bid for the contract to run the campaign, referred to as the “Defra Residual Waste Campaign” by bidders.

But, a spokeswoman told letsrecycle.com that Defra is “nowhere near” launching the campaign itself.

She said: “It hasn't got very far yet – we have asked for people to bid, but it won't be happening for a while, it's just something that we're thinking about. It might not happen at all. It's much too early to say at the moment.”

The Department has distanced itself from a document leaked at the weekend, pointing out that the document relates the bid of one of the companies seeking to run the campaign, not Defra's own intentions.

Campaign

The document, from the marketing consultancy Munro & Forster, suggests a national-led media campaign with a regional element, focussed at the more well-educated, affluent home-owning members of the public with a “strong sense of ethical and social responsibility”.

It suggests adding a fourth “R” to the current three popularly used in waste awareness campaigns – reduce, re-use, recycle – “recover energy”.

With a celebrity “eco-ambassador” the calibre of Stephen Fry, Michael Buerk, Maggie Philbin, Tony Robinson or Ben Fogle, it recommends blitzing the public with surveys supporting waste treatment technologies as well as adverts “designed to look like editorial content” of which Defra could control the content.

The document indicates that preparations for the campaign might begin as early as January 2008, with the public activities starting from March 2008. These would include a “What a Waste” exhibition touring the regions and a website with “virtual visitor centres” detailing waste technology “success stories” around the country. An example used by the presentation for the subject of a virtual visitor centre is the SELCHP incinerator in South-East London.

However, the Defra spokeswoman dismissed the suggestion that the residual waste campaign could start as early as the New Year, pointing out: “It hasn't even been before ministers yet.”

Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth claimed it had information indicating that over £2 million of funding was earmarked for the scheme.

It warned that the campaign aimed to “make it easier for councils to build incinerators by persuading the public that burning residual waste – waste that isn't reused, recycled or composted – is a good thing to do”.

The group is concerned that with councils being herded down the Private Finance Initiative route of funding new waste infrastructure, the residual waste campaign will support the case for “expensive” plants “requiring long-term financing through the local Council Tax.

It also believes there is too much plastic left in residual waste after existing recycling activities have taken place for it to be burned.

Dr Michael Warhurst, Friends of the Earth waste campaigner said: “This 'public engagement campaign' is selling outdated, expensive and polluting technology. It comes at a time when Defra's budgets are in crisis – it is outrageous that these plans are deemed a priority for spending when other vital work areas are facing cuts.

“If the government really wants to help the fight against climate change, it should be aiming for much higher recycling rates, and should invest in policies to get waste out of landfill without incineration, which will reduce our climate impacts and increase our resource efficiency,” Dr Warhurst added.