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The familiar sustainable practice of recycling is needed more than ever due to increasing environmental concerns created by the threat of accelerating temperatures through climate change. With the evidence that if we do not act now, climate change will create devastating impacts on our planet, simple impactful operations like recycling must be adopted by every household. With growing public recognition of the importance of recycling, national events are working towards increasing awareness. 2022 marks the 19th year of Recycle Week. This year’s ‘Let’s Get Real campaign will challenge perceptions and myths around recycling so recycling behaviours are improved. | |
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What is recycling and why is important? | |
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| Recycling is the simple process of repurposing used materials and is regarded as a popular green practice, but what makes this impactful activity sustainable? | |
Landfill waste is reduced 
Natural resources are conserved 
Our environment is kept clean for wildlife and humans
Energy usage decreases
Carbon emissions are cut down 
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| The opportunity for communities to recycle has been made easier, given the breadth of recycling centres up and down the UK and the expanse of locally managed recycling schemes, so, why isn’t the practice of recycling adopted by everybody? Inconsistency, little awareness and lack of education are the most common reasons cited. Consumers want to be responsible for their waste so they are afraid to recycle wrongly. In the UK, many councils are boosting their efforts to promote the art of how to recycle correctly. | |
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Recycling in Practice | |
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A focus for many local authorities is to encourage communities to recycle. Inspiring local residents to sort out their waste and give more items a new lease of life is easier said than done. Let’s take a look at the innovative ways in which some councils have been tackling the issue and raising the bar on recycling.
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Dorset Council | |
As many councils and waste management organisations know, their residents want to recycle, they just don't know how. Placing the wrong items into the recycling bins can cause greater harm to the environment than not recycling at all. Recycling had increased among Dorset Council residents in 2022 due to new collection initiatives but not all recyclers were recycling their waste properly. The 'Right Stuff, Right Bin' campaign bolstered the importance of recycling correctly and how to do so. These issues can be costly to councils. The campaign educated communities about the recycling process and resulted in a further increase in recycling amongst Dorset neighbourhoods. |  | |
St Albans City and District Council | |
Located in Hertfordshire, St Albans City and District Council ranked the highest in recycling rates for a local authority with 64.2% in 2020/21. The green-focused council topped the recycling tables by integrating recycling schemes and promoting their sustainable values with their residents. The council’s priority of tackling the climate emergency and improving the environment has been a significant influence in promoting a local recycling campaign. As part of the campaign, the Hertfordshire council educated their residents with an informative recycling web page and a detailed digital recycling guide. Being in the top 3 recycling councils for the last 8 years, St Albans City and District Council continues to promote their sustainable values to encourage recycling across the city. |  |
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Love Essex | |
The cost of throwing away rubbish is £155 per tonne. This might not seem like much but in Essex, over 700,000 tonnes of waste are discarded annually, meaning colossal amounts are spent on waste management within the county. This needed to decrease, so councils came together to start the Love Essex campaign. The message of the Love Essex campaign is to highlight the cost of littering. To promote their campaign message, Love Essex used promotional merchandise from Allwag Promotions to encourage local residents to sign the Essex Plastic Pledge. When residents signed the pledge, they were entered into a draw to win a sustainable branded reusable bottle. This is a great example of using branded merchandise to engage communities with recycling. |  |
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Promote Recycling with Sustainable Merchandise | |
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| A tried and tested way to show your residents the importance of recycling is to lead by example with recycling-friendly branded merchandise. | |
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| Let’s hear from Associate Director, Sarah Smith and her choice of trending sustainable merchandise products to promote recycling. | |
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Made from recycled materials, this eco-friendly pen is perfect for promoting your council’s recycling message. Our sustainable pen is a great choice for a recycling campaign because it is recycled and practical. Encourage recycling whilst educating residents about recyclable and recycled materials with this sleek pen. |  | |
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 | Produced from post-consumer recycled card, this 100% recycled notebook is a fantastic and sustainable merchandise option that’ll get used daily meaning your branding will get seen every time it’s used. Like Love Essex, use this sustainable branded notepad to reward your communities recycling efforts! | |
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The classic everyday bottle from CamelBak is stylish and spill proof! Alongside being functional it also sustainable, being part made from recycled materials. Promote recycling whilst keeping drinks cold. | 
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Sarah’s top picks are the perfect promotional solutions for your next recycling inspired campaign. Get in touch with our Public Sector Team today and find out more about our range of recycling themed merchandise to help promote your next recycling initiative. | |
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