Shropshire Council:
Promoting plastic collections

Shropshire Council is located in the West Midlands where they serve over 290,000 residents. Covering almost 1,300 square miles this is more than 91% of the County of Shropshire where the unitary authority provides the full range of local authority services.

The brief

Shropshire Council has a well developed recycling scheme, collecting paper, glass, cans and plastic bottles. However, it was noticeable in North Shropshire that, despite good collection results on most materials, the collections of plastic bottles were not achieving the equivalent results.

We were approached by Shropshire Council with the request that we:

  • Created a number of concepts for the promotion of household plastic bottle recycling
  • Carried the chosen design across a number of media types
  • Encourage residents to recycle more plastic bottles

The project was funded by WRAP to act as a trial to establish how effective promotion of plastic bottle recycling could be.

The solution

One of the two plastics transformation leaflets

With a high level of media literacy now almost universal amongst the general public it can be difficult to deliver a message on the subject of waste and recycling that has wide appeal and penetration. It is with this point of view that we approached the design and planning of this plastics recycling campaign.

Three concepts were created and using on line testing the choice for the plastic promotions was almost universally narrowed down to an plastic transformations leaflet. This was based around the success of our campaign with the Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME) in the promotion of can recycling.

This revolved around different types of plastic bottles that could be recycled, not just the typically recognised pop bottles. These were then shown transforming into a range of aspirational (and materially correct) products. These ranged from children’s toys, football shirts and through to digital cameras.

The advantage of our wide ranging expertise is the quality control that can be maintained throughout the process from the drawing board through production and into the final product. With our photography and design departments working together all of the materials were chosen with thought to colour, form, what they would mate to and appeal. These were then photographed with consistent lighting and the same angle, essential in creating an effective illusion. These were then retouched and de branded.

Plastics transformation poster

This methodical approach and collaboration ended with a design that carried well across a wide variety of media.

Two different large transformation leaflets were sent to each of 27,000 households in the North Shropshire area. At first appearing as a line of the different bottles the leaflets opened to reveal the transformation into their matching products. The illustration clearly connected the value of recycling all plastic bottles.

These leaflets were supported by posters and displays used at road shows and in public places. This extended the coverage, even reaching visitors from other areas of Shropshire.

Conclusion

The Shropshire household plastic recycling campaign has received great reactions. Sometimes communicating in an original and fun way, not forgetting the educational elements that you want to impart, is all that it takes to change people behaviour. Here targeted coverage has allowed us to do all of this in an under performing area.

The campaign has received such great praise that the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has commissioned us to produce a series of plastics campaign templates based around this project using different transformations. These templates will be uploaded in the next few months. In the meantime if you would like more details please contact us.

Key facts

  • Focus groups almost universally chose the transformation concept from a selection of three possible designs
  • In house production ensured the highest quality in all elements of this complex production
  • Both fun and imaginative the household plastic recycling promotion also worked to inform people further

About Shropshire Council

  • Provides services to over 91% of the County of Shropshire
  • Serve a population in excess of 290,000
  • One of the West Midlands major councils