Dover District Council: Doorstep Recycling Engagement Campaign
Background and context
Dover District Council commissioned M·E·L Research to deliver a promotional doorstep engagement campaign in selected parts of the district. The campaign focused on improving residents’ use of the council’s kerbside recycling services and reducing contamination in the commingled recycling container.
The council had identified several materials that were regularly being placed in the wrong container, including larger metal household items, crisp and sweet packets, pet food pouches, plastic films and carrier bags. These materials reduced the quality of the recycling stream and created operational challenges. The campaign therefore needed to improve residents’ understanding of what could and could not be recycled, while also encouraging greater and more consistent use of the available services.
The work aimed to support three linked outcomes: increasing participation in recycling, increasing the amount of recyclable material set out for collection and improving the quality of materials placed in the recycling containers. It also sought to provide a clear call to action for non-recyclers and help existing recyclers use the service correctly.
The campaign covered households with different social and demographic characteristics. Some audiences were already motivated to recycle but were at risk of “positive contamination” by placing unsuitable items in recycling containers. Other households could be harder to engage because recycling competed with more immediate pressures. Face-to-face communication was therefore used to address both knowledge gaps and practical barriers in a tailored way.
Approach
M·E·L Research designed and delivered a large-scale doorstep engagement programme combining targeted household selection, local recruitment, structured face-to-face conversations and ongoing qualitative monitoring.
Targeting and geo-demographic profiling: The campaign areas were selected to reach households considered most likely to benefit from direct engagement. ACORN profiling was used to understand the characteristics of the target population and to help ensure that activity was focused where it could provide the greatest value to the council.
Face-to-face doorstep engagement: M·E·L Research recruited a team of local Recycling Advisors, managed by an experienced field supervisor. All team members received training before starting work and were supported throughout delivery. Advisors wore branded high-visibility clothing and identification and carried letters of authorisation from both M·E·L Research and the council.
Structured engagement materials: Advisors used a prompt sheet to explore residents’ claimed use of the kerbside services, their understanding of accepted and non-accepted materials and the barriers that prevented them from recycling fully. They also recorded requests for additional containers so these could be passed to the council for action.
Household communications: Residents who took part in a conversation were offered a recycling leaflet. Where no one was at home, Advisors left a “sorry we missed you” card and recycling information through the letterbox. This ensured that visited households still received campaign messages even where direct engagement was not possible.
Area-based fieldwork management: Delivery targets were set by area to support an even spread of engagement across the district. The campaign covered a broad range of wards and communities, with fieldwork monitored to ensure consistent coverage and contact performance.
Ongoing qualitative reporting: The field supervisor submitted weekly reports summarising the most common barriers, residents’ perceptions of the service and recurring areas of confusion. This allowed M·E·L Research to build a detailed picture of both behavioural and operational issues over the course of the campaign.
Analysis and outputs
The project produced a final written report setting out the campaign background, methodology, delivery and qualitative findings. It also included supporting communications materials, the doorstep prompt sheet and campaign photographs.
The analysis drew together feedback recorded by Recycling Advisors and weekly supervisory reports. It grouped the issues raised by residents into broad themes covering knowledge and understanding, situational barriers and behavioural barriers. This gave Dover District Council a practical account of the factors affecting participation, the amount of material recycled and the quality of the recycling stream.
The campaign was positively received by residents and found that many households had a good general understanding of the service. However, it also identified specific areas where further communication was needed.
One of the most important outcomes was a clearer understanding of confusion around plastics. Some residents assumed that all plastic carrying a recycling symbol could be placed in the blue-lidded container, while others used plastic bags to transport recycling and then placed the whole bag into the bin. Advisors were able to explain which plastics were accepted and reinforce the message that plastic bags and films should not be included.
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The campaign also highlighted confusion around larger metal items. Some residents placed objects such as baking trays, pots and pans into the recycling container, rather than limiting metal recycling to the accepted cans, tins and aerosols. This gave the council a clear basis for more targeted communication to the groups most likely to make this mistake.
The doorstep conversations helped address wider misconceptions about what happened to recycled materials. Some residents believed recycling was sent to landfill and therefore saw little value in taking part. Advisors were able to challenge this perception and explain the purpose of the service directly.
The work also identified practical issues that could discourage participation. Residents raised concerns about the size and design of the paper and card box, containers being damaged or not returned properly, missed collections and the cost of the garden waste service. These findings showed that some barriers were not simply attitudinal but were linked to service design and collection experience.
Food waste recycling was found to face additional behavioural barriers, particularly concerns about cleanliness and the absence of free liners. The campaign therefore gave the council a broader understanding of why participation in this service was weaker than in dry recycling.
The final report translated these findings into practical recommendations. These included reinforcing messages about accepted plastics, focusing communication on the exclusion of plastic bags, providing targeted information about acceptable metal items, improving the return and handling of containers by collection crews and exploring ways to address issues with the paper and card box.
Overall, the project gave Dover District Council a detailed, resident-led understanding of contamination, recycling behaviour and service barriers. It also enabled immediate clarification at the doorstep, helping residents recycle more confidently and correctly.
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