Love NZ and Be a Tidy Kiwi have launched a joint campaign to encourage New Zealanders to “Litter Less Recycle More.” The campaign was announced by the Hon Scott Simpson, Associate Minister for the Environment with students and parents at Meadowbank Primary School in Auckland. The school was chosen to host the campaign launch as the first primary school in New Zealand to have successfully reflected ‘Beyond Green Gold,’ indicating its progress as a sustainable Enviroschool.
The campaign has been developed by The Packaging Forum in partnership with The Auckland Litter Prevention Steering Group, which manages the Be a Tidy Kiwi brand and is supported by many councils around the country and the New Zealand Transport Agency and KiwiRail. The campaign is the first national and community awareness programme about litter since the 1980s, and will be linked to a national behavioural change programme and investment in new and upgraded rubbish/recycling infrastructure that uses smart technology to minimise overflow and reduce collection costs.
The first National Litter Survey, which was commissioned by The Packaging Forum in 2015 found 32 items of litter per 1000m2 on New Zealand’s streets and public places[1]. A three-year campaign will target this litter through behavioural change programmes and the installation of correctly situated and visually impactful rubbish and recycling infrastructure.
Issue of national importance
Richard Leckinger, Program Manager for Be a Tidy Kiwi says: “This campaign aims to position litter and resource recovery as an issue of national importance, and the collective responsibility of all Kiwis and those visiting from overseas. We are very pleased to be bringing together two of New Zealand’s iconic brands, Love NZ and Be a Tidy Kiwi to kick-start awareness and the motivation to make a change. Launching at a leading Enviroschool is a key part of our strategy in which we develop age specific materials and messages for schools which we will pilot through Enviroschools and other educational organizations such as Tread Lightly Caravan.”
Lyn Mayes, Manager at The Packaging Forum, says “In May 2015, we published the first National Litter Survey, conducted by Waste Not Consulting as the first step to establishing a national Litter Index. This survey found that around 60% of visible litter is packaging and shows the impact of the increase in food consumption away from home. Our membership includes around 70% of the 100 most often littered brands and they are keen to work with us to promote the “Litter Less Recycle More” campaign to their customers. Together we want to “put litter in its place”.
Mayes added, “Clean, well-maintained infrastructure is crucial to helping the community dispose of their waste correctly, enabling them to recycle where possible. We will choose pilot sites around the country to introduce new Smart technology “binfrastructure” in conjunction with the advertising and behavioural change programme.”
The $2.4 million project has received $1.72 million funding from The Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund and will be supported by in kind investment by industry and local government in delivering a national advertising campaign.
[1] National Litter Survey 2014-2015 Waste Not Consulting funded by The Packaging Forum
