The campaign targets residents across the boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton and the initiative aims to raise awareness to reduce plastic waste.
The campaign, unveiled through digital advertising, bus stop and roadside billboards, leaflets and mobile advertising bikes, emphasises the importance of reducing reliance on single-use plastics, promoting the reuse of plastics to prevent waste, and an increase in recycling efforts.
Through this, the campaign hopes to decrease the amount of plastic ending up in general rubbish bins.
Campaign
One aspect of the “Plastic Solution” campaign involves engaging residents directly through social media, where they are encouraged to share their own tips and hacks using the hashtag #PlasticSolution.
Residents will also be encouraged to be flexible with their recycling efforts, particularly in locating local recycling points for “flexible” plastics such as bags, food pouches and crisp packets.
The SLWP website will serve as a hub for the campaign, offering information, resident-suggested tips from social media and insights into why plastic waste emits more carbon when treated as general waste compared to other types of rubbish.
Carbon footprint
Simon Bussell, head of contracts at the South London Waste Partnership, said: “This campaign is not about demonising plastic. Since it came into widespread use in the 1970s, plastic packaging has brought huge benefits; such as keeping our food and drink fresh and medicines sterile. But the reality is that whilst plastic waste only makes up around 16% of the weight of the average SLWP rubbish bin, it accounts for around 70% of a bin’s carbon footprint.
“That’s why it’s particularly important to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic whenever possible and why we are running this awareness campaign in conjunction with our commercial partners.”
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