During the first six months of 2006, Hornsby Shire Council’s Waste Management Team conducted a broad scale community consultation into the future direction of its waste services.
The aim of the consultation was to assess community awareness and understanding of the need to recycle, to evaluate current communication aids and to prepare a marketing strategy for future programs.
Located in the north shore region of Sydney, Council currently contributes approximately 450 kilograms of waste per person to landfill each year.
Hornsby’s Waste Education and Support Officer, Michelle Norman, said the consultation highlighted that while a core group of dedicated people demonstrated a high level of awareness and actively participated in environmental programs, the majority of residents were less aware about the range of services available, but expressed a desire to learn more about recycling and its outcomes.
“Respondents wanted to be kept informed about what was happening to their waste, how was it being recycled; what uses was it being put to, and what positive outcomes there might be,” she said.
“They said they would be encouraged to recycle more if Council kept them better informed.”
As a result of the consultation report, a marketing strategy was developed, involving a program of promotional activity.
The program began early this year and will continue throughout 2008.
Michelle Norman said the messages have a consistent look and are being delivered frequently according to a planned schedule.
“The overall message is that recycling is easy,” she said. “Three cartoon bin characters – the ‘Bin Crew’ – are being used to carry the phrase ‘Recycling –
Easy as 1.2.3’.
“The three characters match the number of bins residents have and are presented in the three bin colours.
“They will be used wherever a recycling or waste reduction message needs to be communicated and will be included on all future waste related material and campaigns.”
Residents recently received updated calendars and recycling guides providing detailed information on general waste, garden and recycle bin collections, information on kerbside collections, benefits of recycling and an A–Z disposal guide.
Various promotional giveaways, including stickers and key rings featuring the new mascots and phone number, have also been developed for children and teenagers.
Future activities will include newsletters, rates inserts, illegal trolley dumping brochures, media campaigns, school activity work sheets, kerbside cleanup flyers, ad shells for bus stops, unit block recycling posters, plastic and steel recycling brochures and a shop-a-docket campaign promoting steel can recycling with the chance to win movie tickets.
Michelle Norman said Council has already seen a two per cent increase in recycling between the May 2006 to May 2007 period when compared to the same period in previous years.
“It is hoped that the recycling rate will increase by another two per cent over the next 12 months,” she said.
For further information contact Michelle Norman on (02) 9847 4835.
