WRAP Launches New Guidance to Help Local Authorities Improve Participation in Recycling Schemes
‘Low Participation Areas’ (LPAs) are an issue for almost every local authority in the UK. These are areas where there are low amounts or a limited range of recyclates presented for recycling, or where the items sent for recycling are of poor quality.
WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) have produced new guidance - Improving Low Participation Areas – Effective Communications Planning available at www.wrap.org.uk/lpa - which comprises detailed questions that help local authorities to identify LPAs and to understand how to enable residents in these areas to recycle more. It works on the premise that there is no ‘off-the-shelf’ solution to tackling low participation and that each LPA will have its own unique set of characteristics, which need to be understood.
A simple online tool takes users through a decision making process to identify the LPAs within a region and ascertain the reasons for low participation. The tool poses questions, storing the answers so additions or revisions can be made as necessary. Finally, users are guided to apply the results to complete communication plans tailored to increase participation in each LPA.
The guidance contains hyperlinks to a number of reference documents, which may help with specific issues, such as identifying the lifestyles and life stages of residents in LPAs.
Users can also access case studies that have been developed to share local authorities’ experiences of developing communications solutions for LPAs.
Louise Bowe, Head of Local Authority Communications Support at WRAP, said: “Almost every local authority in the UK will have streets, neighbourhoods or maybe larger areas that under-perform when it comes to recycling and this can seriously undermine the overall success of collection schemes.
“Encouraging these residents to participate fully in recycling services can be challenging. However, we hope this guidance will help local authorities identify the unique issues within their LPAs and communicate with those residents more effectively.”
The ‘Improving Low Participation Areas – Effective Communications Planning’ has been created following a WRAP Masterclass, which brought together 18 local authorities that had developed successful approaches to working with LPAs.
WRAP will be running some dissemination events to help users get the best out of the guidance and tool later in the year. These will be announced at www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/training
Editor's notes:
- WRAP helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change.
- Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Working in seven key areas (Construction, Retail, Manufacturing, Organics, Business Growth, Behavioural Change, and Local Authority Support), WRAP’s work focuses on market development and support to drive forward recycling and materials resource efficiency within these sectors, as well as wider communications and awareness activities including the multi-media national Recycle Now campaign for England.
- More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk
