WRAP’s ‘Rescue Me - Recycle’ campaign reached 7.3 million people and increased the capture rate of commonly binned recyclables.
Recycle Week 2024 drove missed capture rate for toilet roll tubes, deodorant, perfume bottles, yoghurt pots, and plastic spray bottles down from 70 per cent to 64 per cent, according to figures published today (26 March) by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
During the week 14-20 October last year, the NGOs ‘Rescue Me - Recycle’ campaign reached 7.3 million people using mascots made from commonly wasted items to highlight the one billion recyclables that are incorrectly binned each year.
Of those the campaign reached, 2.9 million indicated that they have changed their recycling habits due to the campaign.
Commenting on the success of Recycle Week 2024, Craig Stephens, Campaign Manager at WRAP, said: “The impact last year’s campaign had in driving down the rate of common household items are binned when they could be recycled was brilliant.”
Recycle Now also reached 33 million people through its PR campaign, with a further 25 million impressions delivered through a paid digital campaign across Meta and Google.
The ‘Workshop In A Box’ community engagement initiative further saw over 100 partners engaging with an estimated 8,000 children through recycling education programmes in schools, Cubs, and Brownies groups.
According to Recycle Now, 90 per cent of UK households are currently recycling, but 79 per cent miss one or more items that could be recycled in kerbside collection. The campaign highlighted that the main barriers preventing more effective recycling are uncertainty about what can and cannot be recycled, and doubts about what happens to their recycling once it is collected.
This encouraging response comes against a backdrop of declining recycling rates; the UK’s household waste recycling rate was 44.1 per cent in 2022, down from 44.6 per cent in 2021.
Recycle Week 2025 will be held from 22-28 September, with WRAP aiming to collaborate with more NGOs, businesses, schools, local authorities, and community groups.
Stephens added: “This year we want to take that success even further and need even more partners to get more people recycling more efficiently.”
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.