MoreThanWaste.com - ‘Coca-Cola’ initiative yields 19% household recycling increase in Accrington (15/02/2008)

" We have seen the positive effect that a brand like ‘Coca-Cola’ can have in making recycling more relevant to a hard-to-reach audience"

Liz Lowe, Citizenship Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain

Manchester, UK; Stronger promotional links between local authorities and private sector companies can really help to make a positive difference to improving household recycling levels, according to Axion Recycling.

Thirteen councils took part in a unique initiative involving ‘Coca-Cola’, which produced an impressive average 5.2% increase in household recycling rates over and above forecast levels, according to the recycling consultancy.

The 12-week ‘Talent from Trash’ campaign, which ended last November, targeted young male football fans and their families employing their love of football as a means of motivating them to recycle and earn money for their clubs’ youth development programmes.

Axion’s team managed specific aspects of the ‘Coca-Cola’ campaign where the consultancy’s experience of waste management and of working with private companies, local authorities and public sector organisations to develop recycling was directly relevant to the programme.

19 percent increase at Accrington

One of the most successful participating clubs was Accrington Stanley FC, whose local area saw a 19% increase in recycling over the three months compared to the same period in 2006. This beat forecast targets by 15%.

Football League clubs in participating authority areas across England and Wales took part in the three-month scheme, which also included participation surveys assessing the recycling habits of a whole community through a representative sample of over 1,000 households in each area.

Axion’s project team measured the percentage increase in tonnes of recyclate collected and the increase in households participation rates during the period.

Comments

Roger Morton, Axion’s Commercial Director, said:

“Overall, an average 5.2% increase in recycling tonnage was achieved, representing an additional 6,378 tonnes, which is very positive. The project achieved its aims of raising awareness of the tangible benefits of recycling in line with Government targets, as well as highlighting the local authority collection schemes in each area.

“Crucially, it has also forged on-going links between local authorities and their local Football League clubs as they have recognised the opportunities to work together to promote recycling. This is a very significant legacy outcome and the campaign’s success demonstrates how the public and private sector can really make a difference to recycling rates in both practical and imaginative ways.

“Projects are also being developed with other local councils, such as Cardiff, looking at waste composition surveys to help determine their future recycling strategies,” Roger concluded.

The campaign has also achieved lasting success in Norfolk, as Andrew Cullen, Marketing Manager for Norwich City FC, explains:

“Following the conclusion of the campaign we met with Norfolk Waste Partnership to understand how we could work more closely together for the benefit of the community.

“We will attend their Recycling Officers Group Meetings where we look forward to learning more and identifying opportunities so that Talent from Trash has a lasting legacy in Norfolk,” he adds.

Liz Lowe, Citizenship Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain commented:

“Talent from Trash’ was a tangible step forward to demonstrate our commitment to encourage customers to recycle more. It’s been a genuine learning experience and we are heartened by the response from fans, clubs and local authorities. We have seen the positive effect that a brand like ‘Coca-Cola’ can have in making recycling more relevant to a hard-to-reach audience.

“Working with 13 councils, with 13 different recycling collection strategies, has undoubtedly been challenging, but this initiative is helping inform our plans for 2008. The partnership approach will be at the heart of this.”

Further information

For more information contact Axion Recycling on 0161 426 7731 or visit the website at www.axionrecycling.com.

‘Coca-Cola’ is a registered trade mark of The Coca-Cola Company.


	‘Coca-Cola’ initiative yields 19% household recycling increase in Accrington (15/02/2008) " We have seen the positive effect that a brand like ‘Coca-Cola’ can have in making recycling more relevant to a hard-to-reach audience" Liz Lowe, Citizenship Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain Manchester, UK; Stronger promotional links between local authorities and private sector companies can really help to make a positive difference to improving household recycling levels, according to Axion Recycling. Thirteen councils took part in a unique initiative involving ‘Coca-Cola’, which produced an impressive average 5.2% increase in household recycling rates over and above forecast levels, according to the recycling consultancy. The 12-week ‘Talent from Trash’ campaign, which ended last November, targeted young male football fans and their families employing their love of football as a means of motivating them to recycle and earn money for their clubs’ youth development programmes. Axion’s team managed specific aspects of the ‘Coca-Cola’ campaign where the consultancy’s experience of waste management and of working with private companies, local authorities and public sector organisations to develop recycling was directly relevant to the programme. 19 percent increase at Accrington One of the most successful participating clubs was Accrington Stanley FC, whose local area saw a 19% increase in recycling over the three months compared to the same period in 2006. This beat forecast targets by 15%. Football League clubs in participating authority areas across England and Wales took part in the three-month scheme, which also included participation surveys assessing the recycling habits of a whole community through a representative sample of over 1,000 households in each area. Axion’s project team measured the percentage increase in tonnes of recyclate collected and the increase in households participation rates during the period. Comments Roger Morton, Axion’s Commercial Director, said: “Overall, an average 5.2% increase in recycling tonnage was achieved, representing an additional 6,378 tonnes, which is very positive. The project achieved its aims of raising awareness of the tangible benefits of recycling in line with Government targets, as well as highlighting the local authority collection schemes in each area. “Crucially, it has also forged on-going links between local authorities and their local Football League clubs as they have recognised the opportunities to work together to promote recycling. This is a very significant legacy outcome and the campaign’s success demonstrates how the public and private sector can really make a difference to recycling rates in both practical and imaginative ways. “Projects are also being developed with other local councils, such as Cardiff, looking at waste composition surveys to help determine their future recycling strategies,” Roger concluded. The campaign has also achieved lasting success in Norfolk, as Andrew Cullen, Marketing Manager for Norwich City FC, explains: “Following the conclusion of the campaign we met with Norfolk Waste Partnership to understand how we could work more closely together for the benefit of the community. “We will attend their Recycling Officers Group Meetings where we look forward to learning more and identifying opportunities so that Talent from Trash has a lasting legacy in Norfolk,” he adds. Liz Lowe, Citizenship Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain commented: “Talent from Trash’ was a tangible step forward to demonstrate our commitment to encourage customers to recycle more. It’s been a genuine learning experience and we are heartened by the response from fans, clubs and local authorities. We have seen the positive effect that a brand like ‘Coca-Cola’ can have in making recycling more relevant to a hard-to-reach audience. “Working with 13 councils, with 13 different recycling collection strategies, has undoubtedly been challenging, but this initiative is helping inform our plans for 2008. The partnership approach will be at the heart of this.” Further information For more information contact Axion Recycling on 0161 426 7731 or visit the website at www.axionrecycling.com. ‘Coca-Cola’ is a registered trade mark of The Coca-Cola Company.