Recycling And Food Waste
I help councils, waste providers, and housing organisations drive positive behaviour change — increasing food waste and recycling rates while saving money.
For example, I supported the London Borough of Wandsworth with their communications, focus groups, surveys, and behavioural interventions around food waste and recycling. This helped them save £1.2 million over several months and increase recycling rates by 25%.
Along with trusted design and campaign delivery partners, we help you deliver behaviour change that works and helps residents to do the right thing with their rubbish and recycling.
Most importantly, I will help you redesign your service so that service delivery and communications work in harmony.
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Positive change, saving money and measuring impact
I work with you running through my four-step behavioural framework – Behaviour, Examine, Solve and Test – to drive change and deliver measurable savings, across services and communications. I can also design and deliver communications campaigns for you.
1) Behaviour – define the challenge
I start by understanding the real context of your challenge. What are the actual problems you face? What do your insights and data reveal — from your waste composition analysis to existing surveys or focus groups?
This process is always collaborative, working with you through workshops, one-to-one interviews and co-creation sessions to achieve change.
I can also help you carry out new research – including surveys and focus groups – to identify a long list of possible behaviours. From there, I help you prioritise which specific behavioural objectives to target.
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2) Examine – identify drivers and barriers
Next, we explore who needs to do what, when, and where, and what influences their behaviour.
I map behaviours against key factors such as motivation, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and habits to understand what drives or hinders action.
For example:
- Residents may not know what belongs in each bin (knowledge barrier).
- They may find recycling or food waste bins inconveniently located (environmental barrier).
- They may not believe their efforts make a difference (motivation).
This helps identify the real barriers that need to be addressed.
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3) Solve – design the solutions
I then co-create solutions with you through a collaborative workshop. Together, we map interventions against the barriers, identifying easy-to-move versus harder-to-move behaviours.
This helps you identify where small-scale trials may be appropriate to test ideas (for example, on one estate or a few streets) before wider rollout.
I also work closely with trusted campaign specialists like CAN, who can help design and deliver creative campaigns — from graphics and posters to videos — to discover what truly drives action.
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4) Test – evaluate what works
Finally, I help you develop a robust measurement framework to track and evaluate what works, and importantly, what doesn’t.
This ensures your interventions are evidence-based, cost-effective, and deliver measurable behaviour change. Working with CAN, we can also provide a live dashboard that tracks communications and service improvements together in real time.
To find out how I can help you drive change, book a FREE planning call with me, and I’ll talk you through all four steps and how this can help you to increase recycling and food waste collection rates.
Alternatively, please call me on 01928 242182 or complete a free online enquiry.
Dominic Ridley-Moy FCIPR, Chart.PR, Dip CIPR
Behaviour Change Network founder
FAQs
What is the most effective way to increase recycling rates?
The most effective way to increase recycling rates is to combine service design with behaviour change. This means making recycling easy, removing barriers such as confusion or inconvenience, and using targeted communications to reinforce the right behaviours.
Why do residents not recycle or use food waste services?
Residents often face practical and behavioural barriers. Common issues include not knowing what goes in each bin, inconvenient bin locations, lack of space, or low motivation if they believe their efforts do not make a difference.
How can councils improve food waste collection rates?
Councils can improve food waste collection rates by simplifying the process, providing clear guidance, addressing barriers such as bin access, and using behaviourally informed communications to encourage participation.
What is a behaviour change approach to waste and recycling?
A behaviour change approach focuses on understanding what people actually do and why. It identifies barriers and drivers, then designs practical interventions that make it easier for residents to take the desired action.
What is the BEST framework for improving recycling behaviour?
The BEST framework stands for Behaviour, Examine, Solve and Test. It helps organisations define the problem, understand behavioural drivers, design solutions, and test what works to deliver measurable improvements.
How do you identify barriers to recycling?
Barriers are identified through a combination of data analysis, surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder input. These insights reveal issues such as lack of knowledge, inconvenient services, or low motivation.
How do you measure the success of recycling interventions?
Success is measured using a clear evaluation framework, including changes in recycling rates, food waste capture, participation levels, and cost savings. Ongoing monitoring ensures interventions are effective and scalable.
Can behaviour change reduce waste service costs?
Yes. By increasing participation and reducing contamination, behaviour change can significantly lower disposal costs and improve operational efficiency, often delivering substantial financial savings.
What role do communications campaigns play in recycling behaviour?
Communications campaigns help reinforce desired behaviours by providing clear, consistent messaging. When combined with service improvements, they can increase awareness, motivation, and participation.
How long does it take to see results from behaviour change interventions?
Results can often be seen within a few months, especially when interventions are tested on a smaller scale first. Full rollout and sustained impact typically develop over a longer period.