The council has teamed up with the national waste awareness organisation in a bid to help boost the council's recycling rate to over 40% in 2008-09 through a targeted communications campaign, which will begin at the end of this month.
They aren't going to tell people off – it is their job to persuade residents why they should recycle and to give them personalised local information and make it easy to recycle more
Cllr Tracey Chapman, cabinet member for the environment, Essex County Council
Six councils within Essex have identified a total of 11 areas where they feel residents may need “a helping hand” and the campaign now intends to uncover the factors preventing some households from recycling properly and use this information to help benefit other areas that could improve their recycling.
Councillor Tracey Chapman, Essex county council cabinet member for the environment, said: “This recycling campaign will give residents in 11 areas of the county the information and encouragement they need to start recycling even more.”
Promoters
The scheme will see ‘recycling promoters' visit and speak with residents in areas within Basildon, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon and Tendring to help answer questions, address concerns and offer advice on how residents can recycle more through kerbside collections.
Speaking about the ‘promoters', Cllr Chapman said: “They aren't going to tell people off – it is their job to persuade residents why they should recycle and to give them personalised local information and make it easy to recycle more.”
The county currently recycles and composts 38% of the 262,000 tonnes of its household waste arisings but the council financed the communications campaign in mind of future targets.
Tender
Waste Watch – which is a national, non-profit organisation – won the tender for the contract in July and is currently engaging in research ahead of the scheme launching at the end of October or towards the beginning of November.
Tim Burns, head of environmental services at Waste Watch, said: “This is an amazing opportunity to prove how a tightly targeted communications campaign can directly increase recycling rates.”
The organisation is conducting research in each of the 11 low performing areas to understand the barriers preventing people from recycling, and will then work with collection crews before meeting with residents.
Mr Burns said that they will meet with residents “on the doorstep, at events, and through networking in the community so we can pass on relevant, clear and compelling information which the residents want to help them recycle more.”
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