Annual review

Surrey Environment Partnership
April 2020 – March 2021

Activity and achievements 2020-21

Managing Surrey’s waste: Recycling guides

Over the past five years SEP’s communications activity has shifted to being primarily digital. Most residents are online and as well as being cost effective, many channels enable us to target residents by postcode, demographics and interests.

However, not all residents are online and even for those that are, a printed communication can make a longer-term impact. Additionally, research from multiple sources indicates that multi-mode communication and engagement is critical, with varied use of digital and non-digital means.

So, as with previous years, the JWS team worked with each authority to develop localised printed guides to recycling and waste based on a consistent template to be distributed in their area.

The guides communicate information about the local collection service, educate residents about what should go into each of their bins and some guides provide collection calendars for the following year.

As with the Surrey Recycles search tool this helps to ensure that the right things go into the right bins to increase recycling and reduce contamination.

Over 450,000 printed service guides were designed, printed and delivered to households in every area of Surrey in October and November 2020 and seven of the eleven guides included collection calendars for 2021. Following  distribution, independent research with residents showed exceptionally high levels of recall and retention.

Evaluation highlights

• 81% of residents recalled receiving the guide.
• 80% of those who received a calendar recalled receiving it.
• 70% of those said they had already read it.
• 78% of those who had already read their guide had kept it.
• The guides were highly rated for their clarity and the quality of their design.