WRAP's 'Recycled Wood Works Wonders' Campaign Boosts Surfacing use in Landscaping Sector

Sixty per cent of wood recyclers have seen sales increase as a result of the 'Recycled Wood Works Wonders' campaign, which targeted local authority and commercial procurers and specifiers, together with landscape architects and contractors.

The campaign used a variety of marketing mediums - trade advertising, public relations, direct mail, sales support literature, telemarketing, events and web site development - to communicate the performance, cost and environmental benefits of using recycled woodchip as a mulch for plant beds and as surfacing for paths and play areas.

Prior to the campaign, market research showed that awareness in local authorities of recycled wood products (RWPs) for use in landscaping - including where to source them - was just 2%. As a result of the marketing activity, new benchmarking research shows this has now increased to 18%.

General 'unprompted' awareness has also risen from 3% in 2005 to 7% in 2006, whereas 'prompted' awareness has grown from 75% to nearly 90%. Furthermore, 9% of research respondents said they find out about RWPs via WRAP's recycled wood web site www.recyclewood.org - which was only created in early 2005. Today, the site is responsible for generating more than 300 supplier links every month.

While the 'Recycled Wood Works Wonders' campaign was entirely focused on the landscaping trade, its effects have also been felt in the consumer arena as a result of a piece of direct mail which caught the attention of The Scotts Company, one of the UK leaders in lawn and garden care. The mailer, which powerfully conveyed the benefits of the material for surfacing use, subsequently led to Scotts' decision to sell recycled woodchip under its highly-respected Levington brand at Focus DIY stores and many other garden centres around the country.

In addition, 33 local authorities are now conducting trials of RWPs and five major studies of the material's use have been established with a view to learning more about the known performance benefits of durability, maintenance reduction and the ability to adhere to slopes in all weather conditions.

Julia Turner, Material Development Manager for wood at WRAP, said: "Prior to our campaign, recycled woodchip was one of the best-kept secrets in the landscaping sector. Fortunately, this has changed significantly over the course of the last 12 months.

"Wood recyclers are now seeing increased sales and the landscaping industry as a whole has discovered an important new surfacing solution - one which offers a variety of benefits, including durability, cost-effectiveness and visual attractiveness. This will only continue as news of the product's versatility spreads by word of mouth."

Other activity has included a telemarketing campaign which brought in more than 1,300 leads for wood recyclers that produce landscaping surfacing material to follow up and the production of 15 printed case studies which allow wood recyclers to communicate product benefits experienced by organisations to potential customers. The case studies include the world-famous Eden Project in Cornwall, a well-known golf club, two children's outdoor attractions and several local authorities.

And, with a view to widening the recycled woodchip message as far as possible, WRAP targeted membership organisations and trade associations working in the landscaping arena. This has led to representatives being invited to present on the material's benefits at major landscaping events at rate of at least two per month.

In all, marketing activity carried out as part of the 'Recycled Wood Works Wonders' campaign has created more than 1.5 million 'opportunities to see' in the trade media, with each conveying the benefits of recycled woodchip for landscaping to potential users.