Recycling Archives

27/04/201718/05/2023

EAUC Annual Conference

We are pleased to be exhibiting at this year’s EAUC Annual Conference, showcasing our work with Swansea University, Bournemouth University, Brunel University, East Kent College and University of Chichester.

This year’s conference theme is Global Goals: Local Action and will recognise the critical role universities and colleges across the planet have to play in finding and implementing a solution to climate change and realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a local level within their communities.

Across the universities we work with, we turn the benefits of protecting the environment into cost savings associated with reductions in electricity, waste and water use. We also engage staff and students in activities that improve their wellbeing which reduces numbers of sick days and increases productivity. Through our programmes, universities also get to make a positive impact on local community projects and charities with the donations we make available.

Make sure you catch our Managing Director, Graham Simmonds, at the Swansea University talk at 1:45pm on 29th March talking about one of our flagship engagement programmes – ‘Swell’. We’ll be exhibiting on the 29th and 30th and we’ll be happy to chat to you about how our award-winning programme can help your university or college save energy, water and waste and improve wellbeing.

11/04/201718/05/2023

RBS UK & Ireland roll out Jump

After a successful pilot which led to a 5% average electricity reduction at pilot locations and 500,000 disposable cups being saved, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have scaled up their Jump programme to cover all 1,700 locations in UK and Ireland to maximise impact.

The Jump behaviour change programme will be encouraging employees to engage in energy saving, sustainable travel, waste reduction and other in-house sustainability actions with winning teams and individuals being rewarded for their efforts every two months, with vouchers for outlets such as iTunes and Marks & Spencer (M&S).

RBS sustainable workplace culture manager Mike Lynch said: “Colleagues can earn points for their team for simple actions like switching off electrical equipment, reporting leaks, travelling sustainably and encouraging others to get involved. RBS is committed to reducing the environmental impact of serving customers and Jump brings all our target areas together under one cohesive programme.”

Employees engaged in over 2,500 activities during the pilot, with 80% of in-scope colleagues signed up so it’s no wonder RBS is banking on saving £3m from energy alone through the new programme.

Check out our Press page to see how this is being reported in the media. B

09/03/201718/05/2023

Communication is key.

The Jump (Local Green Points) team recently attended the annual Warwickshire Waste Partnership Conference where our Managing Director, Graham Simmonds, gave a presentation. His key themes included the work we do to embed positive waste and recycling behaviours, the role of communications and technology in driving success and the Slim Your Bin communications campaign we provide to the County.

The following content comes from a blog by Leanne Trow, who we were joined by at the conference, which first appeared on Credibly Green. Find the full article here.’

Our team of Chartered Professionals have attended a number of events this week all concerning the importance of communication. These included the annual Warwickshire Waste Partnership Conference, the Introduction to Communications in the Waste and Resources Industry event hosted by CIWM (Chartered Institute of Waste Management) and the Environmental Leaders Conference hosted by Shropshire Wildlife Trust. Across all of the events communication was the key driver around further discussion.

The importance

Communication is crucial to drive success. For example, within the Waste Partnership Conference it was highlighted by all of the guest speakers that communication was vital to improve recycling rates. Householders needed to be aware of firstly when they needed to put out their bins and what they can put into each bin. Without this initial communication, increased contamination rates are a threat which impacts the overall recycling rate leading to negative impacts and further issues which is then negatively communicated and documented within the press.

With the technology advances and changes in behaviour, communication is becoming easier, with the use of social media including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. Facts, figures and findings are able to reach a larger audience through the mechanisms of retweeting and sharing posts. Communication is the driver towards success and influences change. Communication allows opportunities to be identified and highlights where improvements can be made. Apps, such as those for reporting littering or identifying contaminated recycling containers can support the communications activity. Incentive schemes to encourage recycling can also be linked to both technology and social media. There are close links between communication and ‘observability’ which needs to be carried forward – those that are seen to be performing well have additional motivation.

Traditional campaigning and door to door intervention is a more time consuming and expensive method of communication but is proven as successful not least because the target audience feel involved within the process and ultimately the results of the decisions that are made.

Behaviour

Communication results in behaviours being followed which ultimately changes attitudes, the behaviours can then become embedded, but it is not an easy path to change behaviour. It is important to continue communication to ensure that attitudes and ultimately behaviours doesn’t fall away over time. Re-visiting communication interventions should be regularly reviewed. Jump (Local Green Points) clearly illustrated the process of how communication ensures that behaviours become embedded during a talk at the Warwickshire Waste Partnership Conference.’

Head to Credibly Green for more information on improving communication in 2017.

If you have any questions for the team at Jump (Local Green Points), or want to know how communications and technology could help you reach your waste and recycling goals, get in touch by emailing [email protected]

17/02/201718/05/2023

New on pack recycling labels.

On Pack Recycling Labels are there to provide a simple, UK-wide recycling message on retailer and brand packaging to help consumers recycle more products, more often. ORPL is simplifying the design of on-pack labels to make it easier for consumers and retailers to understand.

The new labels will still feature the iconic recycling symbol, but components will only be listed on complex packaging and materials will no longer feature on the labels. Messages have been shortened to ‘Check Locally’ rather than ‘Check Local Recycling’ and ‘Not Yet Recycled’ instead of ‘Not Currently Recycled’.

The new design also allows the inclusion of calls to action that are valuable to consumers. ‘Rinse’, ‘Cap On’ and ‘Remove Sleeve’ are among the important messages identified by WRAP.

A recent customer survey found that 7/10 consumers recognise OPRL labels and 2/3 refer to them. The new system is intended to maximise effective recycling.

Don’t forget to also actively educate yourself regarding your local recycling options. Whether is having a look on your council’s website to see what types of plastics you can recycle or looking for a food bank, going the extra mile will make a huge impact.

20/01/201718/05/2023

Jump launches at Bournemouth University

Just under two weeks ago, Bournemouth University became the fourth UK University to launch our award-winning programme – Jump. The exciting new pilot has been designed to help to boost campus sustainability and employee wellbeing.Thanks to Jump, employees at Bournemouth University can now win prizes for taking small, simple steps at work to reduce their environmental footprints and improve their own wellbeing.

The prizes include:

• One of 6 prizes for the top performing individuals every month (from a choice of a £10 M&S voucher, £10 One4all voucher, one month gym pass, bus pass or loan bike).• One of 15 raffle prizes every month (from a choice of a reusable cup, reusable bottle or £3 Chartwell’s voucher).

• £100 for the top team to donate to their favourite local charity from a shortlistThese are the charities to choose from: •

Children’s Foundation • Bournemouth Foodbank • RSPCA• Bournemouth Hospital Charity

• An opportunity to run your own fundraising event for a charity of your choice The employees who have signed up to the programme compete in their teams to earn Green Points for a whole range of actions under a number of different themes to keep things interesting.

Here are the 5 themes:

• Sustainable travel • Resources • Energy saving • Health & Wellbeing • Positive actions

01/12/201618/05/2023

Jump shortlisted for 6 awards in 2017

It’s been a fantastic year for our Jump programmes – with high engagement and successful results including an 8% average energy reduction across all client schemes and an average of 307,590 miles travelled sustainably. We are delighted with the positive results that our programmes have achieved so far, proving their success in creating sustainable behaviour change. And with these high impact results, our programmes have been receiving recognition across the country, with 6 of our Jump clients shortlisted for awards in 2017. These include the BIFM Awards, the Better Society Awards, the Employee Benefits Awards, the Guardian University Awards, the Sustain Wales Awards and Edie’s Sustainability Leader’s Awards.

Earlier this year, RBS won the prestigious ‘Bank of the Year’ in the Better Society Awards 2017, and Michael Lynch, Head of Sustainable Workplace Culture at RBS said: “We are delighted to have won this award and be recognised for our innovative Jump programme which is making significant savings in costs, energy and other resources by engaging colleagues in simple, positive steps.”

At the 2017 Sustain Wales Awards, our programme at Swansea University (Swansea SWell) received a High Commendation for its work in sustainability engagement. The university has seen some impressive results from the programme, including 23,000 kg of CO2 saved from employees travelling sustainably, a 19% reduction in carbon intensity, over 105,000 miles travelled sustainably and over 45,000 positive actions logged.

Our Jump programmes provide a sustainability and wellbeing engagement platform for employers to motivate their employees to take part in activities such as saving energy, travelling sustainably, increasing exercise and investing time in wellbeing activities. Through motivation, ongoing communications campaigns and rewards to reinforce behaviour change, Jump has the functionality to help employers save energy, reduce carbon emissions and create an environment for employees to feel happier, healthier and more fulfilled in the workplace.

For more information or to request a case study, email [email protected]

29/07/201618/05/2023

Summer sustainability

The hot weather we’ve been enjoying recently has turned our attention to sustainability during the summer months. We’ve come up with a few tips to help you be as green as possible this summer:

Invest in a reusable BBQ to cut down on the waste and cost of disposables. Even if you plan to make the most of the summer cooking at the beach or your local park, plan ahead and pack up a small reusable BBQ and some charcoal. Whether you’re out enjoying picnics and BBQs or hosting a summer party, a lot of us will spend time this summer eating outside with friends and family.

To avoid food waste, check how many people will be joining you before you head to the shops – and coordinate before hand to make sure you don’t end up bringing 5 of the same dish. If you do end up with leftovers, it’s handy to store food in a reusable container to enjoy the next day.

During the summer months you’re more likely to be keeping your garden in shape. Make sure you know how to recycle your garden waste to stop it from adding to your general waste. You could try home composting, using a garden waste collection service or visiting your local recycling centre. If you’re not sure what to do with your garden waste, check out Recycle Now.

It’s also important to consider reusing other resources, such as water. You can save water by installing a water butt to collect rainfall which can later be used to water your plants and keep your garden alive during the hot summer months.

Rather than planning an extravagant holiday abroad, you could try out a ‘staycation’, a holiday spent closer to home. You’ll save money and cut down the carbon emissions from travelling abroad – instead you’ll get to try out loads of local attractions and days out.

14/07/201618/05/2023

Garden waste recycling harmonisation

As discussed in our last Recycling Harmonisation blog post, we’ve been researching the different ways recycling is collected across London. We found that nearly every Borough in London uses a different dry recycling collection system, making it difficult for residents to understand their local services. Using data from the WRAP Local Authority Waste and Recycling Portal from 2014-2015 we’ve looked into how garden waste collection services vary between Boroughs in London.

We found that the majority of London Boroughs do offer garden waste collections. Of the services provided across 33 Boroughs, 6 systems combined food and garden waste collections.

London garden waste collections are further divided into chargeable and non chargeable schemes, with the majority of Boroughs offering non-chargeable collections. The collection frequency of garden waste varies between weekly and fortnightly collections, and the container types used include wheeled bin, reusable sacks, non-reusable sacks and a combination. Here at Jump (Local Green Points) we’ve found that engaging residents with door knocking campaigns is one of the best ways to communicate how to recycle correctly using local services. This month we’ve got a team of Door-to-Door Recycling Advisors out in Bexley promoting garden waste collection services.

WRAP and DEFRA officials are considering ways in which local authorities can work to harmonise collection systems to minimise the confusion caused by inconsistent collection systems used across the UK. We plan to look further into the data in the coming weeks to find out how food waste is dealt with across London.

30/06/201618/05/2023

Recycling harmonisation

At Jump (Local Green Points) we have come across a number of different recycling collection systems in operation while working with local authority clients across the country. To understand the extent of variation between the collection systems in place we have been researching the ways in which dry recycling is collected across the 33 London Boroughs. All data has been taken from the WRAP Local Authority Waste and Recycling Portal from 2014-2015. Across 33 Boroughs we’ve seen that there are 9 different combinations of containers used to collect dry recyclables for kerbside properties alone – varying from boxes, wheeled bins, reusable and non-reusable sacks of different colours, communal waste bins and a combination of the above. Recycling collection systems are further divided into co-mingled (the use of one container for mixed recycling), two-stream (the use of two separate containers for recycling) and multi-stream (the use of a separate container for each recyclable material). For both flats and kerbside properties it was found that the majority of Boroughs offer co-mingled collections, leaving 25% of houses and flats in London using either two-stream or multi-stream systems.

The combination of materials accepted by these dry recycling collections is varied across the 33 London Boroughs. While all services will accept mixed cans, card, plastic bottles and paper, others will also accept glass, aerosols, foil, mixed plastics, paper, batteries, textiles or composites.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A SUMMARY OF COLLECTION REGIMES ACROSS THE LONDON BOROUGHS.

The collection frequency of dry recycling also varies greatly between the Boroughs and property type, ranging from fortnightly to more than weekly collections and a combination across the Borough.

Taking into account the container type and colour, the materials accepted, property type, whether materials are mixed or separated and the frequency of collections, practically all London Boroughs are found to offer a different collection system for dry recycling. With over 30 different collection regimes in London alone, communicating with residents about how to use their local collection systems is one of the biggest challenges to recycling correctly. As we have learnt through conducting door-to-door recycling campaigns and running our incentive programmes, a high proportion of residents in rented accommodation and transient populations in London act as a major barrier to understanding recycling systems. One way to tackle this in the short term is using incentive schemes to educate residents on how to use their recycling services. Looking to the longer term, WRAP are working alongside DEFRA officials and senior recycling officials on the ‘Harmonisation and Consistency Working Group’ to consider ways in which local authorities can harmonise collection systems. A publication outlining a ‘vision for greater consistency in collections’, likely to include a standardised set of materials for recycling and the containers used for recycling, is expected from July. We’ll continue to research the recycling systems in London so check back to the Jump (Local Green Points) blog to find out more about garden waste and food waste recycling.

26/06/201618/05/2023

Recycle Week 2015: Day 5

Top tips and where to find more information

It’s Friday, which means that it’s the final day of this year’s Recycle Week! We hope you’ve found some useful information in our previous posts about recycling in the kitchen, bathroom and the lounge.

For our final post of the week we’re going to be rounding up some of the best resources that you can use to get more information about recycling in your area.

Recycle Now’s Recycling Locator

An invaluable tool that lets you see what you can recycle near you. Simply put in your postcode and find out all about recycling!

Love Food Hate Waste

A great website to help you waste less food. With the average family throwing away £60 worth of food each month it’s an easy way to save money and reduce your waste too.

Recycle Now’s Guide to Packaging Symbols

Modern packaging is normal stamped with a whole host of symbols, some of which aren’t too clear on their meaning. This handy little guide helps you know what you are looking at – and whether than impacts on your recycling of it!

Go Real

Real Nappies are a washable cloth alternative to disposable nappies that could not only save you money but drastically cut down the amount you throw away. Learn more about them and see if they could work for you.

Recycle Now’s compost guide

If you aren’t lucky enough to benefit from a food waste collection then the next step to reducing your rubbish is to get a compost bin. Composting can seem like a complicated process but once again Recycle Now provide a handy guide to let you know what you need to do! FreegleDo you have furniture or other items that you no longer want but could be reused? Then consider putting them on Freegle for others to have. You might even find a gem yourself!

23/05/201618/05/2023

New Recycling Reward Schemes

It’s an exciting time for Jump (Local Green Points) with two new Recycling Reward schemes launching in West Norfolk and Waltham Forest.

West Norfolk Recycling Rewards got off to a great start in its first week. The scheme rewards residents of the Borough of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk with individual and community rewards for their recycling efforts.

May has also seen the launch of Waltham Forest Recycling Rewards, a scheme rewarding residents of purpose built flat blocks for preventing waste, reducing contamination and recycling what they can. Alongside the new scheme in Waltham Forest we are running a door-to-door recycling project with our new team of recycling advisors.

We’ve had another great team of advisors working on our door-to-door project in Westminster since the end of April where they are advising residents on their recycling services and how to reduce contamination.

18/04/201618/05/2023

Love Peterborough, Love Your Community nominated for National Recycling Awards 2016

Love Peterborough, Love Your Community has been shortlisted for the National Recycling Awards 2016 in the ‘Communications’ category, recognising those who have taken a fresh approach to promoting behaviour change. To help encourage and increase recycling across the city, Peterborough City Council set up the Love Peterborough scheme in partnership with Amey and ourselves, Jump (Local Green Points). The scheme utilises our ‘Community Points’ platform to engage residents in recycling and waste minimisation behaviours. Since launching in October 2015, Love Peterborough, Love Your Community has engaged residents in a range of positive behaviours from recycling garden waste, bulky waste and electronics to donating unwanted items to charity and switching to reusable nappies! Residents earn Green Points for their recycling efforts which go towards rewards for themselves and their community. Winners will be announced 6^th July 2016 at the National Recycling Awards ceremony.

Tag: Recycling