Problem
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council successfully achieved Welsh Government’s 58% recycling rate target in 2018 by implementing various new initiatives to enhance recycling quality and reduce leftover non-recyclable waste, putting it on the right trajectory to achieving future targets.
Despite offering comprehensive recycling collection services and measures to discourage households from producing excess non-recyclable waste, the Council recognised the need to engage all residents in better recycling behaviours. With some households observed not fully utilising the provided recycling services, or only recycling a minimal amount, there was a need to increase waste sorting in some areas.
Solution
To ensure every household in Blaenau Gwent recycles effectively, the Council launched a campaign targeting the small minority of residents who recycle very little or nothing at all. The campaign, titled ‘Are you keeping up with the Joneses?’, encourages individuals to comply with recycling requirements by:
- Motivating residents to be a part of the majority who recycle: The campaign highlights correct recycling behaviours as the community norm, referring to the non-recyclers as being the ‘odd’ ones out.
- Offering in-home visits from recycling officers: As part of the support offered to residents, a Recycling Warden can be called in to show households how to sort and recycle their waste correctly.
- Monitoring areas to ensure residents maximise recycling opportunities: Wardens regularly monitor areas where residents fail to recycle and issue warning letters to non-compliant households.
- Issuing fines to those that do not comply: Households that don’t start recycling and continue to place recyclable items in their black bags and bins after receiving warnings, and a Section 46 Notice, face a fixed penalty notice of £100.
Alongside this approach, the Council offers advice on recycling for households requiring extra assistance through its website, printed materials, and a telephone helpline. This enables residents to learn what they can and cannot recycle, order new containers, and ask for any other support they may require to effectively separate their waste.
Impact
Over time, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council noticed an improvement in the uptake of recycling resulting from the ‘Are you keeping up with the Joneses’ campaign:
- Recycling rate increased to 65%: This resulted in the Council also achieving the statutory target of recycling for 2019/20, which called for a minimum of 64%.
- The Council visited over 6,000 households: A significant number of residents were engaged with, and informed of, effective recycling practices as a result of the Recycling Wardens’ efforts.
By implementing a campaign that established recycling as the social norm to leverage improved residents’ recycling behaviours, the Council was able to increase household participation in recycling, both improving its recycling performance and the efficacy of its waste management service.