Responding to a question from Daniel Instone, head of waste strategy at Defra, on whether “recycling myths” appeared in the mainstream media by accident or through “deliberate misinformation”, members of the panel explained that due to the complexity of the sector there was a dependence on information and research being offered.
Louise Gray, environment correspondent at The Telegraph – who in February wrote a story entitled ‘Recycling in the UK may end up in Landfill' – said that this made research vital.
She said: “I think most of the myths are based on reality, for example stock-piling of waste around December I think there were large amounts of concern in the industry, so the only way around it is through more research.”
“I think we want to do that as much as possible but it is quite difficult in the time and the space that we have so it is great when organisations get in touch and give us that information,” she added.
Experts
Echoing Ms Gray's sentiments, Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent at Financial Times, said: “We do do a lot of research and that involves talking to experts and experts disagree. We could talk to Friends of the Earth – as experts – and get a completely different view on incineration from other experts, such as the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.”
“We get our copy by talking to experts and if they tell us things that are untrue then that is one of the ways in which myths happen,” she added.
Discussions at the event, which was chaired by Dr Alan Whitehead, MP, centred on the recent negative mainstream press attention given to the sector, specifically during the downturn in the recycling markets towards the end of 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Ms Harvey claimed there was a problem with false information being reported and used the example of people in the media, such as former This Morning presenter Richard Madeley in his column in The Daily Mirror, questioning the merits of glass ecycling and said: “These myths make people start to really resent it.”
“Complex”
The Waste & Resources Action Programme claimed that the sector was not helped by “certain newspapers” possessing political agendas and attempting to write stories claiming that recycling was a “waste of time” and better debate was needed.
Nick Gammage, director of communications at WRAP, said: “It is a very complex issue and it goes across all sectors of the media. Where this is so critical is in getting a real deep debate going, which has to be thoughtful and factual.”
“We are keen to ensure that when there is a media debate going on that it is an informed media debate. So making sure that in a complex world we can make this understandable,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, Andrew Richmond, strategy manager for waste at the Greater London Authority (GLA), said that work undertaken to encourage greater recycling in the sector through the ‘Recycle For London' campaign was starting to prove effective.
Mr Richmond explained how the campaign had used many different forms of media, such as television, radio and online adverts, and claimed that 64% of people polled by the GLA in the capital had said that they recycled more because of the campaign.
Register for free to comment