Alison Hunter

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Alison Hunter Waste Policy Manager Jody
Sherratt Waste Awareness Manager
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Vale Royal Borough Council

• Located in the heart of Cheshire
• Semi rural authority with 53,500 households
• Drivers for Change
• Cheshire Household Waste Management Strategy
• Cheshire Targets to Recycle and Compost 40 by
  2010 and 50 by 2020.

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Introduction of New Alternate Weekly Recycling
and Refuse Collection Service

• Introduced April 2004
• Borough wide in one single phase 1st Authority
  to do so
• 4 Day Working Week, eliminating the need for
  public holiday day changes
• Same day collections on alternate weeks

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Introduction of New Alternate Weekly Recycling
and Refuse Collection Service

• Week 1
• Kerbside Box Glass, Cans, Textiles
• Kerbside Bag Newspapers and Magazines
• 240L Brown Wheeled Bin Garden Waste and Clean
  Brown Cardboard
• Week 2
• 240L Green Wheeled bin Residual Waste
• No Side Waste Accepted
• Strict Waste Audit Process

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Schools Recycling Service

• Mixed Paper and Cardboard Collections
• Dedicated vehicle making collections on Mondays
• Part of Trade Waste Collection Service
• Future Expansion

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Results so far!
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Results So Far .

• 9th Best Recycling and Composting Authority in
  the UK for 200405
• Highest performing authority in the North of
  England
• 3rd Most improved authority in the UK

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Why Has The Scheme Worked?

• INNOVATION
• Borough wide introduction of the scheme
• 4 Day working week
• Same day collections simple for residents
• Development of an innovative new waste collection
  partnership with SITA
• Establishment of a clear Service Standards
• Extensive and fully inclusive publicity and
  awareness campaign

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Education and Awareness

• Education and awareness had been a key factor in
  the success of the scheme.
• Began with the introduction of a dedicated
  awareness manager and allocated budget.
• 3 year communication and education strategy
• Clear use of Recycle Now logo and iconography
• 3 stage approach to promotion

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Stage 1 Launch the scheme

• Important to launch any new service correctly
• 6 months to get everybody talking rubbish
• Used a variety of media including
• Launch event
• Video
• Billboards radio
• Staff training
• Clear and simple
• welcome packs
• Press coverage

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Stage 2 Continual Momentum

• Launching the scheme is just the start, once
  launched it is vial to keep up momentum
• Introduction of in-depth monitoring
• Development of strong links to local businesses

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Stage 2 Continual Momentum

• Roadshows and summer events
• Creation of a new branded literature suite and
  information pack
• Regular newsletters

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Stage 2 Continual Momentum

• Introduction of an 8 week school education
  program
• Aim to visit each primary school in Vale Royal
  every 2 years
• Development of a DVD to support the program
  containing 3 videos

• Recyclos guide to recycling (for
  children)
• A guide to recycling in Vale Royal (for new
  residents)
• Top Tips
  (to help people slim their bin)

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Stage 3 Targeted Promotion

• To maximise recycling some areas will need more
  focused promotional activities
• Using data such as participation rates,
  collection tonnages and attitudal surveys it has
  been possible to identify and target poor
  performing areas in a variety of ways.

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Stage 3 Targeted Promotion

• Doorstepping
• Often dismissed due high cost, however in
  targeted areas it can achieve significant
  increases
• 8,000 households were doorknocker with over 4,500
  interviews conducted,
• Over 400 new of replacement containers were
  issued
• Participation in the areas increase by up to 17

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Stage 3 Targeted Promotion

• Incentive Scheme
• DEFRA incentive funding, targeting 1000
  households
• Aimed to reward long term changes in recycling
  behaviour

• Each time a household recycled they were
  allocated points and depending on how often they
  recycle could win up to 50 in ASDA vouchers
• The scheme has a significant impact and resulted
  in a participation rate increase of 14,
  equivalent to 210 new recyclers.
• Also increasing recycling tonnage on the round by
  over 3.5 tonnes each collection

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Key survey results
2004 Survey
2005 Survey
Satisfaction with reliability of
collections? Overall satisfaction with the
scheme? Alternate Weekly collection of
waste? Do you find you now recycle
more? Participation Rate
80 69 64 75 70
93 85 70 84 78
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Standing Still Is Not An Option.The Future

• Plastic Bottle Recycling Scheme
• New Furniture Reuse and Recycling Scheme
• GPS
• Trade Recycling