Future of Rethink Rubbish campaign in doubt

The board of the National Waste Awareness Initiative announced yesterday (June 9) and agreed that its two main objectives had been met and it was “pleased to the hand over responsibility for its longer term objectives to WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme”.

Formed in 1996 in response to widespread cross sector demand for a clear and consistent approach to national waste awareness, the NWAI spearheaded the drive to put waste awareness on the national agenda. Its two main aims were to help secure substantial Government funding for waste awareness activities and to develop an effective national waste awareness campaign.

But, NWAI's work in its current format appeared doomed following publication of the Strategy Unit report and the government's desire to see a much greater public awareness of waste issues.

The Rethink Rubbish brand had made some inroads, but nationally the campaign had a limited impact and it is thought the brand may not be adopted by WRAP. While NWAI had achieved much with a limited budget, it was not seen within Whitehall as the right vehicle to take waste campaigns forward alongside the new waste strategy. This prompted the decision to give WRAP the publicity and campaigning brief and WRAP is now expected to tackle the issue in a much larger way. It is likely to spend several millions of pounds on promotional work and is expected to mount a new national campaign.

Vision

Bob Lisney, chair of NWAI, said: “With a clear vision and after a great deal of hard work by members of the NWAI and its many supporters, we have reached a natural conclusion to our work.

“The successful launch of Rethink Rubbish, the first national waste awareness campaign to unite local authorities, retailers and the waste sector, and the support it continues to gain, underlines the demand for action on waste awareness and the need for a cross sectoral approach to this issue.

“In addition, the recent Government response to the Strategy Unit’s Waste Not, Want Not report underlines the commitment and support for waste awareness at the highest level.”

Tribute
Ray Georgeson, director of policy and communications at WRAP, and an early supporter of NWAI from its inception, paid tribute to the organisation’s achievements. He said: “The NWAI has played a vital role in providing the impetus for the development of national waste awareness and has clearly demonstrated the benefits of securing cross sector support to deliver consistent messages at national and local level. The strong foundations laid down by the NWAI will play an important role in helping to deliver WRAP’s future programme of waste awareness.”