WRAP Cymru – Recycle for Wales Doorstep Engagement Campaign
Background and context
WRAP Cymru commissioned M·E·L Research to deliver a targeted doorstep engagement campaign in Rhondda Cynon Taf as part of the Recycle for Wales programme. The programme aimed to encourage people across Wales to recycle more materials, more often, supporting wider ambitions to reduce waste, use resources efficiently and increase participation in kerbside food waste recycling.
Rhondda Cynon Taf had been identified as an area that would benefit from a focused food waste campaign. The work formed part of a wider programme of communications activity intended to improve local food recycling. It specifically targeted households in areas where participation was lower, alongside groups of strategic interest including university students, families and communities experiencing higher levels of deprivation.
The client needed the campaign to do more than raise general awareness. It was designed to establish how residents used the food waste service, understand which food items they believed could be recycled, identify barriers to participation and provide practical support to help households take part. This included enabling residents to request internal kitchen caddies and external food waste containers during doorstep conversations.
The project also needed to build a clearer picture of how food recycling behaviours and knowledge differed between population groups and locations. This would help WRAP Cymru and Rhondda Cynon Taf tailor future engagement and communications more effectively.
The campaign presented several delivery challenges. It sought to engage households that were not participating fully in the service, students living in off-site accommodation and communities that could be less receptive to traditional marketing communications. Recruiting and retaining locally based Recycling Advisors also required additional recruitment and training activity.
Approach
M·E·L Research designed and delivered an integrated programme combining targeted household selection, secondary data analysis, face-to-face doorstep engagement and quantitative research.
Targeting and secondary research: Campaign areas were selected using participation monitoring undertaken before fieldwork. This helped identify neighbourhoods and collection rounds where use of the food waste service was lower. M·E·L Research then used ACORN classification and Census data to profile the selected households and confirm that the campaign would reach the intended audiences, including students, families, social housing residents and financially stretched communities.
Face-to-face doorstep engagement: A locally recruited team of Recycling Advisors visited households across the selected communities. Advisors received training covering the purpose of the campaign, the local food waste service, health and safety, doorstep procedures and practical fieldwork delivery. They wore Recycle for Wales branded clothing, carried appropriate identification and recorded information using electronic tablets.
Survey and engagement materials: Advisors used a structured questionnaire and prompt sheet to guide conversations consistently. The survey explored claimed use of the food waste collection, frequency of participation, awareness of accepted food waste items, barriers to using the service, what might encourage greater participation, requests for recycling containers, general feedback and household characteristics. Communications materials were available in Welsh and English.
Inclusive household contact: Where residents were not at home, Advisors left a recycling leaflet and calling card. Residents who took part in a conversation were also offered written information. This ensured that every household visited received some form of campaign communication, even where a full engagement conversation was not possible.
Practical behaviour-change support: The campaign was designed to respond directly to barriers. Advisors filled gaps in residents’ knowledge, corrected misconceptions about what could be recycled, discussed practical concerns and arranged container orders for households that wanted to begin or increase their participation.
Analysis and outputs
Responses were captured through a structured survey programmed in SNAP. M·E·L Research produced standard survey analysis and cross-tabulations by key characteristics such as age, household composition, student status and location. The analysis identified meaningful patterns in service use, awareness and barriers, enabling the client to understand where future communications and interventions could be most effective.
The work generated a detailed written report containing an executive summary, methodology, findings, conclusions, charts, maps and supporting data tables. A visual summary presented the main outcomes in an accessible format, while the full report provided detailed interpretation of differences between audiences and campaign areas.
The campaign successfully engaged the priority communities identified by WRAP Cymru and Rhondda Cynon Taf. It confirmed that many residents were already using the food waste service, but also highlighted gaps in knowledge about the full range of food items that could be recycled. These gaps were more apparent among some younger residents, students and particular local areas, giving the client a clearer basis for targeted future communications.
The research also distinguished between different types of non-participation. For some households, the main issue was practical, such as not having the correct container. Others believed they did not produce enough food waste, used alternative disposal methods or felt they were already doing as much as they could. This helped the client separate access barriers from issues of knowledge, motivation and resistance.
A key outcome was the campaign’s ability to convert engagement into immediate action. Recycling Advisors arranged orders for internal and external food waste containers during doorstep conversations, removing a practical barrier for households that wanted to participate. The project therefore generated both research insight and direct service outcomes.
The findings gave WRAP Cymru and Rhondda Cynon Taf a stronger evidence base for future food waste campaigns. They identified opportunities to improve awareness of accepted materials, strengthen promotion to students and younger households, make access to containers easier and tailor communications to the needs of different communities.
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