Clothes and home textiles campaign briefing   –  1 March 2016 to 31 May 2016

  1. Background – Last year in Surrey more than 11,500 tonnes of clothes and home textiles were thrown away that could have been reused or recycled. If all clothes and home textiles were recycled or reused, rather than thrown away, it would save the taxpayer more than £4.5 million.

The partnership’s first clothes and home textiles campaign was undertaken in April and May 2015. It targeted women aged under 45 and focused on reaching them when they might be buying new clothes – either online or in shopping centres. During the campaign period there was a 30 per cent increase in the amount of clothes and home textiles collected by districts and borough councils and a 20 per cent increase at community recycling centres (CRCs).

  1. Aim and objectives – The aim of the campaign is to stimulate and sustain a change in attitude and behaviour that results in Surrey residents recognising the value of clothes and home textiles and reusing or recycling them, rather than throwing in the general waste.

The objectives of the campaign are to:

  • Increase awareness and the use of the clothes and home textiles kerbside collection services, and district and borough and CRC textile banks (as an alternative to the general waste collection).
  • Educate residents so they are aware that clothes and home textiles of any quality can be reused or recycled and there is still value in damaged textiles.
  1. Target audience –  Following the success of the previous campaign, the primary target audience for the 2016 campaign will again be women aged under 45, as they have a lower awareness of how they can dispose of their textiles and are more likely to dispose of items in the residual waste.

Due to a low capture rate, the second target audience is people who live in flats.

  1. Key messages – Primary messages will communicate:
  • All clothes and home textiles can be recycled, even damaged items, accessories, and personal items like underwear, socks and tights.
  • Where to find out how to recycle clothes and home textiles in your area.

Messages where there is the ability to include more copy will cover:

  • What happens to items that are collected.
  • Recycling clothes and home textiles saves the taxpayer money and is good for the environment.
  • Items must be clean and dry.
  • If you’re having a clear out, it’s easy to recycle clothes and home textiles.
  • If clothes are too good to get rid of, they can always be passed onto someone else.
  1. Approach – To achieve the aims and objectives the campaign approach will use the 6Es model of behaviour change. This model takes into account the different ways to influence behaviour – enabling, encouraging, engaging and exemplifying.
  1. Enable – service provision – To increase the quantity of textiles that residents recycle it is essential that there are effective collection services and facilities that enable them to do so.
  • Ensuring there is sufficient capacity to collect additional recycling put out by residents during the campaign.
  • Updating websites with information about local collection services, using campaign messaging, and consistent terminology and acceptance information.
  • Briefing collection crews and CRC staff about the campaign.
  • Ensuring flats have correct information, facilities and signage.
  • Textile collections at schools.
  1. Encourage – communications – The campaign will use a wide variety of tactics designed to generate high awareness among Surrey residents to encourage recycling of clothes and home textiles. It focuses on reaching the target audience when they are more likely to be thinking about clothing and home textiles, for example advertising in shopping environments – such as town centre poster sites and shopping centres; or online on websites that focus on shopping, fashion or spring cleaning.

The campaign will have the same creative approach as the 2015 campaign, but additional artwork will be developed to illustrate the messages.

Tactics include:

  • Collection vehicle livery: featuring the campaign creative, made available to all districts and boroughs (funded by the New Initiatives Fund).
  • Campaign copy: for internal and external audiences via channels such as websites, intranets, magazines and e-newsletters, and sent to magazines and groups such as parish councils, housing associations and local groups.
  • Publications: articles in the Surrey Matters and Recycle for Surrey e-newsletters, Surrey Matters magazine, district and borough newsletters and magazines.
  • Digital and social media: use of relevant social networking channels including Facebook and Twitter; promote the Recycle for Surrey website and develop the recycling section; and add banners on the SCC website and provide banners for SWP members’ own sites.
  • Collateral and direct marketing: a range of printed and electronic materials including leaflets and A4 posters for use by the Surrey Green Network volunteers and in locations relevant to the primary audience such as council offices and libraries. Resources can be provided for SWP members for their channels, including bin hangers and poster sites in town centre locations like car parks.
  • Advertising: poster advertising in town centres to reach the target audience while they are shopping – such as six sheet sites and phone boxes, and in shops or shopping centres, as well as inside trains, radio, magazines and digital.
  1. Engage – get people involved – To complement the communications tactics described above, activity will also take place during the campaign and afterwards to engage directly with residents and get them involved in the topic.

Tactics include:

  • Engagement with passionate recyclers: use the Recycle for Surrey e-newsletter and Twitter account, and support them to speak to friends and neighbours or use social media.
  • Face to face engagement activities: use events like roadshows to communicate the campaign messages.
  • Surrey Green Network volunteers: support the roadshows and use social media to communicate the campaign messages.
  • Simple online interactive activities: quick polls and quizzes on popular subjects which relate to the campaign to use through social media.
  • Engage with children: encourage schools to take part in Wastebuster activities which teach them about recycling and encourage them to recycle at home.
  • Encourage residents to repair or upcycle their clothes by promoting adult education courses and repair cafes.
  1. Exemplify – lead by example – SWP members will exemplify recycling internally. This will include promoting the campaign messages and activity to staff and members, encouraging procurement to seek sustainable credentials, and ensuring correct recycling takes place in all offices, buildings and services.
  1. Evaluation – Campaign evaluation will comprise a range of measures including:
  • Independent campaign evaluation to assess awareness and impact.
  • Media coverage.
  • Tonnes of recycling collected.
  • Digital and social media engagement.
  • Participation in engagement activities.
  • Calls to contact centres
  • School collections booked through Wastebuster.