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Low participating areas

Making sustainability engaging for all

Every authority has geographic areas where people seem less involved in recycling or other resource efficiency initiatives. These Low Participation Areas (LPAs) might contain groups that are hard to reach or to engage with. Equally it may be a mystery why interest is so low, especially when the next-door area has comparatively high take up rates.

We can help you find out why certain areas are a problem by carrying out research with residents, for instance focus groups and surveys; demographic profiling; or reviews to see if services are appropriate.

If it is the services themselves that are a problem, then we can help make them easier or safer to use. If the problem is communication, then we have many ways to get the resource efficiency message across

Isolating the problem

Effective communications can improve recycling performance in LPAs. However there might be a variety of complex reasons why participation is reduced. Correctly identifying all the relevant factors is the key to an effective communications plan.

By using the following tools we can find out who are the people you should be talking to and how you should be talking to them:

  • Profiling, including, conventional ACORN or GreenACORN, Mosaic, and, Defra environmental behaviours segmentation model
     
  • Deploying social marketing principles to research target audiences
     
  • Target audience segmentation

Delivering the solution

From this information we can develop a communications plan to deliver your message in the most effective way. Which might mean:

  • Doorstepping
     
  • Event management
     
  • Leaflets - including for non English speakers and specialist groups
     
  • Community engagement

You might like to use the WRAP toolkit on communications in LPAs, written by Resource Futures which can provide the basis for future action.

Visit http://www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/research_guidance/communications

If you would like more about our expertise in increasing participation, please give us a call on 0117 930 4355

Project Synopses

WRAP - Low Participation Areas - training/toolkit

To enable Local Authorities to tackle low participation in recycling collections, Resource Futures worked with WRAP over a number of years (2006 to 2009) to investigate some of the causes of low participation and develop guidance for tackling it. 

Composting in East Sussex

Householders who had never home-composted before, or those who just needed a little support, could contact the Compost Doctors over the phone, by email, at events or at talks and presentations to discuss their composting questions and issues.

Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste

The contribution of greenhouse gases and in particular carbon dioxide to climate change is widely recognised, and reducing our emissions is now a priority. Several key areas have been identified for action, one of which is food waste.

News and Events

Community RePaint: A Helping Hand for Hearts and Minds in 2011

In 2011, householders, traders and paint manufacturers donated 343,957 litres of paint to Community RePaint schemes, which then distributed 217,112 litres to community groups and individuals saving 565 tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of taking 192 cars off our roads - and providing 766 volunteer and training opportunities. The network now has over 65 schemes across the UK and with four new schemes about to start at the beginning of 2012.    

Resource Futures seeks new Non-Executive Chair

Following restructuring during 2011 Resource Futures is now looking to strengthen its Board with a new Non-Executive Chair.  The company is forecasting a three-fold increase in its profit from 2% in the year ended March 2010 to 6% for the year ending March 2012.  The new position will join Chief Executive Officer Jane Stephenson MBE and Operations Director Sam Reeve, bringing independent scrutiny and advice to this successful business at Board level. 

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