Mobilising communities through strategic partnerships
In 2023, Recycle Week took a transformative leap with the introduction of 'The Big Recycling Hunt', a pioneering initiative designed to weave the importance of recycling into the fabric of communities nationwide. Departing from traditional campaign tactics, this initiative focused on creating deep, actionable engagement through strategic partnerships with Local Authorities and brands, as well as an innovative educational intervention.
The power of educational engagement
In collaboration with Hark, we took the 'The Big Recycling Hunt' to all 17,577 primary schools in England and Northern Ireland, with a twist. Beyond traditional learning, the campaign engaged children through a series of interactive and fun activities, including homework assignments, theatre plays, and educational games, all centred around identifying and properly disposing of commonly missed recyclable items. This innovative approach did more than educate; it transformed children into enthusiastic advocates for recycling within their families, bridging the gap between classroom lessons and real-world environmental action.
Cultivating belief through unified communications
The campaign's innovative approach to citizen engagement served as the linchpin for its success. By focusing on engaging children as catalysts for change, 'The Big Recycling Hunt' effectively reached their parents — audiences typically hard to engage due to time constraints — indirectly. This inclusive strategy was amplified further through the active dissemination of campaign materials by local authorities and brand partners across their channels, ensuring that the message resonated with and inspired action among a wide spectrum of the population, not limited to parents alone.
Impressive results
The Big Recycling Hunt delivered outstanding outcomes, amassing over 161,320 Recycling Locator searches during Recycle Week and 7,339 campaign asset downloads by our partners. This success was driven by a comprehensive strategy that seamlessly integrated digital engagement with educational initiatives, reaching around 126,000 pupils. The strategy of using children as key influencers for their parents was particularly effective, with 60% of parents learning new recycling facts and 80% motivated to improve their recycling habits, resulting in widespread behaviour change across communities.
