Braintree District Council: DCLG Recycling Rewards Scheme Door-to-Door Canvassing Campaign
Background & Context
Braintree District Council commissioned M·E·L Research to deliver a targeted doorstep engagement campaign as part of a wider Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) funded Recycling Rewards Scheme. The wider programme aimed to increase recycling participation amongst residents living in flats and multi-occupancy dwellings, where communal recycling facilities had recently been introduced.
The Council recognised that, while kerbside recycling had become established for many households, residents living in flats often faced different barriers to participation. Although new communal recycling bins had been installed and residents had already received introductory communications and reusable recycling bags, some residents remained reluctant to separate recyclable materials, often perceiving recycling as an additional task with limited personal benefit.
The door-to-door campaign was designed to support the launch of the Recycling Rewards Scheme by encouraging residents to pledge to recycle more, increasing awareness of the new recycling arrangements, addressing barriers to participation and providing practical information about correct recycling behaviours. Particular emphasis was placed on engaging residents living in more transient and harder-to-reach communities, including those living in areas characterised by higher levels of deprivation and rented accommodation.
Approach
M·E·L Research designed and delivered a structured doorstep engagement campaign on behalf of Braintree District Council. The campaign combined behaviour change techniques, public engagement and evidence collection to both promote the incentive scheme and gather intelligence to inform future service improvements.
The project included the following stages:
Campaign planning and sampling
A sampling frame of 2,754 properties across 219 locations was established.
Property-level engagement targets were developed to ensure an even geographical spread across participating flats.
The project aimed to achieve contact with at least 910 households, representing a 33% contact rate.
Pre-engagement communications
Residents and managing agents received advance letters explaining the forthcoming campaign.
Posters were displayed in communal areas to raise awareness before doorstep activity commenced.
This ensured residents had prior notice of the visits and understood the purpose of the campaign.
Door-to-door engagement
Four trained Recycling Advisors (including locally recruited advisors and experienced M·E·L Research field staff) worked under the supervision of an experienced M·E·L Research Team Leader.
Advisors received comprehensive training covering campaign objectives, the Recycling Rewards Scheme, recycling services, health and safety requirements and doorstep engagement techniques.
Advisors visited participating properties using a two to three knock approach.
All fieldwork was delivered face-to-face using electronic tablets to capture responses and record outcomes in real time.
Advisors wore branded high-visibility clothing, carried identification and Council authorisation letters throughout the campaign.
Resident engagement
Residents were invited to sign up to the ‘Pledge to Recycle More’ scheme at the doorstep.
Each household received a pledge pack containing:
recycling information
a recycling leaflet
recycling magnet
pen
ice scraper.
Where residents could not be contacted after repeated visits, information packs were posted through letterboxes, ensuring every property received campaign information.
Evidence collection
During each conversation, advisors collected structured information including:
claimed use of recycling services
materials recycled
barriers preventing recycling
suggested improvements to recycling services
willingness to pledge to recycle more
reasons for declining participation
additional resident comments and feedback.
In total:
2,696 properties were successfully canvassed.
980 households were contacted, achieving a 36% contact rate, exceeding the original target.
The project also incorporated demographic profiling through Acorn Classification, enabling the Council to understand how engagement varied across different household types and levels of deprivation. This analysis helped identify which resident groups were more or less likely to participate in the recycling incentive scheme.
Outputs
M·E·L Research analysed both the quantitative survey data and qualitative resident feedback gathered during the campaign.
Analysis included:
descriptive statistical analysis of survey responses
demographic profiling using Acorn Classification
comparison of engagement outcomes across Acorn categories and groups
identification of behavioural, attitudinal, situational and knowledge barriers to recycling
thematic analysis of open-ended resident comments and suggestions.
The project findings were presented within a comprehensive written evaluation report, including:
executive summary
methodology
demographic profiling
detailed charts and data tables
analysis of recycling behaviours
campaign outcomes
service improvement recommendations
appendices containing communications materials and supporting data tables.
The evaluation demonstrated that:
90% of contacted residents claimed to use the communal recycling bins.
46% pledged to recycle more immediately during the doorstep conversation.
A further 29% agreed to complete and return the pledge pack independently.
Overall, 83% of residents spoken to engaged positively with the pledge process in some form.
Resident feedback highlighted opportunities to improve recycling services, including more frequent bin collections, recycling of additional materials and improvements to communal recycling facilities.
The findings enabled Braintree District Council to better understand the barriers affecting recycling participation within communal housing, identify which demographic groups responded most positively to the incentive scheme and make evidence-based recommendations for future communications, service improvements and behaviour change initiatives. The report also established a baseline against which the longer-term impact of the Recycling Rewards Scheme could be assessed as recycling performance data became available.
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