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1.0 SUMMARY

This report details the communication programme developed by Waste Watch to promote and support Daventry District Council's Green Waste Trial and the results these helped to achieve.

The Green Waste Trial was created by Daventry District Council as a means of achieving the UK's national target of recycling 25% of domestic waste by 2000. The aim of the trial was to assess the potential for providing a kerbside organic waste collection service for the whole of Daventry District by evaluating the recycling rates achieved in a fortnightly collection service in a selected area. In the trial, 5,400 households received an organic waste collection service on alternate weeks to the existing refuse collection service, and a weekly dry recyclables collection.

Hales Waste Control Ltd composted the organic material and Waste Watch worked in partnership with Daventry District Council to deliver a major communication, education and research project to support the trial.

RESULTS

Before the trial, the average recycling rate in the trial area was 12%, compared to the District's average recycling rate of 9%. The first collection of organic waste, which began the trial, yielded 71.5 tonnes of green waste and boosted the recycling rate to just under 50%.

The average recycling rate throughout the year-long trial period was 51%, and the highest rate achieved was 60%. Not all of the increase is due to organic recycling - the dry recyclables rate increased by 35%.

Almost 70% of the waste in the average household bin was potentially recyclable through the dry and organic waste collection service.

COMMUNICATION

Aim:

• To maximise participation in the trial, achieve minimum contamination and maintain this throughout the trial period.
•  To undertake research into communication methods and assess whether continued contact and support were the key to achieving and maintaining higher diversion rates.
•  To monitor householders' perceptions of the trial and get feedback on the usefulness of the communication methods used.

Communication methods:

The communication programme designed and performed by Waste Watch had a number of elements:

• Providing support for householders through a telephone helpline, letters and home visits.
• Producing newsletters to stimulate interest in the trial and provide operational information.
• Providing households with kitchen pre-sort bins to help make recycling kitchen waste easier.
• Undertaking waste analyses at different stages in the trial to monitor changes.
• Undertaking questionnaires to discover householders' perceptions of the trial and obtain feedback on communication methods.

What the residents said:

• 98% thought that recycling kitchen and garden waste was a good idea
• 90% of trial householders thought that the scheme was manageable
• Many householders reported that they found it easier to recycle their kitchen organic waste using the kitchen pre-sort bins provided by Waste Watch, and that they recycled more of this type of waste as a result of being provided with the bins.
• 89% of trial householders thought that the level of information provided throughout the trial was adequate and 88% found additional contact with Waste Watch useful.
• Operational information such as lists of the targeted materials and collection dates was found most useful by the trial householders.
• Contamination in the brown organic bin was reduced from 4% to 1% due to the continuing communication project.
• Organic waste in the grey refuse bin was reduced from 33% to 21% between the start and end of the trial.

Recommendations

The project was considered a success by all the partners in the exercise.

In order to ensure similar or better success rates, the following recommendations are suggested:

•  High levels of communication to householders using clear and simple messages.
•  Opportunities for householders to give feedback on the scheme.
•  Extra help and advice to assist householders in understanding the needs of the collection service, including home visits and practical waste reduction advice.
•  Reliable and consistent collection services in order to increase participation rates.
•  Provision to the public of operational information on the recycling scheme such as collection dates and targeted materials provided on a regular basis through a variety of media.

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