Meeting documents

To consider the report.

The Joint Waste Scrutiny Panel reviewed and commented on the report and agree the following the recommendations to be considered by Somerset Waste Board:

That the Somerset Waste Board:

- notes the outcomes of the campaign to drive higher levels of food waste recycling through the ‘Slim my Waste, Feed my Face’ behavioural change campaign

- delegates authority to the Managing Director of the Somerset Waste Partnership, in consultation with SMG, to decide whether, when and how to roll-out the campaign to the remainder of Somerset.

The Chair invited Mickey Green to provide a verbal update on Slim My Waste Feed My Face Campaign, Michael Cowdell, was introduced to give an update and SWP’s analysis had shown that Somerset’s household rubbish bins contain over a quarter (26%) of food waste which could be recycled. Reducing the amount of food waste being sent to landfill would not only lead to a significant environmental benefit, but also generate cost savings of up to £950,000 per annum if all the food waste in the refuse bins was recycled. The Bristol Waste Company launched the ‘Slim My Waste, feed my face’ (SMW) campaign which focused on encouraging householders to use their food waste bins and kitchen caddy by decorating them with face stickers to reflect their householder personality. The campaign achieved significant results in raising awareness in Bristol, increasing recycling (by 16%) and reducing the amount of food waste being sent to landfill. As a result, the Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) has agreed to deliver a variation of the campaign to residents in Somerset. It adopted the same format as the Bristol campaign, but the artwork was amended to reflect SWP branding and messaging and support the existing food waste collection service. All kerbside service residents received an information leaflet promoting food waste recycling, explaining why we need to recycle food waste, the benefits, how to use the face stickers and step by step guide on how to use the food waste collection service. Content on what can currently be recycled at the kerbside and HWRCs and the upcoming ‘Recycle More’ service changes was also included (to raise awareness across the whole of Somerset). Black bins were given an ‘I’m on a no food waste diet’ sticker on their lid and a bright yellow ‘no food waste’ measuring tape around the middle (their ‘waist’). The stickers provide an ongoing visual reminder not to use their black wheelie bin for food waste. 24/25 agencies staff and eight dedicated crews delivered the packs and stickered rubbish bins, following refuse crews. Each Crew was made up of three agency staff and managed daily by SWP staff. The campaign was suspended on 18 March as Covid-19 started to have a significant impact on SWP’s services (the container delivery service was suspended on 19 June). This meant that part of Sedgemoor, the western part of Somerset West & Taunton and some rural parts of other districts did not receive the campaign.

The campaign was launched on social media at the beginning of February, supported by a press release and website content. This coincided with the delivery of information packs to households across the county, district by district starting in Mendip. The initiative had already been heavily trailed in a ‘wraparound’ cover for the December 2019 edition of the Your Somerset newspaper which is delivered to homes across the county.

The residents were encouraged to post their stickered bin ‘faces’ on social media using the #FeedMyFaceSWP hashtag for the chance to win prizes. Content was proactively shared on community Facebook pages, following the delivery of packs as closely as possible. It was too early to measure achievement against this aim, and due to the significant increase in food waste tonnage under Covid, it may never be possible to identify the specific impact of the Slim My Waste Feed My Face campaign. However, the 400% increase in container demand suggests that participation increased significantly. If all these households starting to recycle food waste that would be an increase in participation of 5%.  Due to, Covid-19 tonnages of other materials had also increase (though not by this proportion) and is likely to have driven increases in food waste. The campaign was expected to cost £283,000 of which £118,000 covered the design and production of the materials has also and £126,000 covered labour and fleet.  SWP secured £173,000 in match funding (including from Viridor, our disposal partner) and £110,000 from Somerset County Council’s Improving Lives to Prevent Demand Fund. The anticipated increased cost of food waste caddies/bins was £39k, funded from the Recycle More fund (as agreed with the Strategic Management Group).

Actual costs for design of leaflets, stickers and tape were £2,520. Print costs for 260,000 units were £58,851, giving a total of £61,371 and an underspend of £56,629. Due to the curtailing of the campaign before complete, there were also underspends in labour and fleet costs. Labour costs were £80,535, fleet costs £17,881 and consumables (e.g. PPE and building hire) £14,783, giving a total cost of £113,207 and an underspend of £12,793. This gives the total spend of £244,000 and an underspend of £69,242 against the estimated budget. A sum of £39,000 had been budgeted for the anticipated increased cost of food waste caddies/bins. With the campaign shortened, actual spend was £27,000. An underspend of £12,000.

The Panel commented on the campaign and the success, with an increase in residents using the stickers and gave its thanks to Somerset Waste Partnership for the hard work behind these achievements

The Joint Waste Scrutiny Panel reviewed and commented on the report and agreed the following the recommendations to be considered by Somerset Waste Board:

That the Somerset Waste Board:

- Notes the outcomes of the campaign to drive higher levels of food waste recycling through the ‘Slim my Waste, Feed my Face’ behavioural change campaign.

- Delegates authority to the Managing Director of the Somerset Waste Partnership, in consultation with SMG, to decide whether, when and how to roll-out the campaign to the remainder of Somerset.