Pledge2Recycle Plastics worked with all 13 Kent Councils throughout 2021 and 2022 to deliver plastics recycling communications across Kent looking at the research start point ‘if kerbside plastics recycling is based on the same target/non-target materials, what other factors influence recycling rates.’  Part-funded by the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge, the project lead by RECOUP and Pledge2Recycle Plastics partnered with industry partners Veolia, Plastics Europe, the British Plastics Federation, Ecosurety, Kent Resource Partnership and PPS Recovery Systems for delivery. The project was also supported in kind by Ocado, Sainsbury’s and OPRL. 

The project focussed on utilising different types of communication methods to influence recycling rates including leaflet delivery, direct community engagement (roadshows, shopper engagement, school visits etc.) and indirect communications (social media, articles in local magazines, dedicated website etc.).

The project in numbers:

• 678,000 recycling information leaflets delivered to residents
• 1900 parish councillors contacted
• 170,000 community magazine copies distributed
• 17,500 school children across 700 schools engaged with
• 3000+ responses to citizen insights questionnaires
• 3000+ shoppers engaged with at 16 high street locations
• 2500 visits to a dedicated web page for Kent plastic recycling information

The project found that Kent citizens understanding of plastics packaging recycling improved overtime and the responses clearly demonstrated an up-shift from July 2021 with those post communications commencement.

As an output of the project a ‘Best practice guide for UK plastics recycling Communications’ guide was been produced as an aid to those communicating plastics recycling to individuals and communities who are seeking to drive up the quantity and qualities of collected recyclable items.