Recycling Right and Building Confidence for System Change

A behaviour change campaign supporting residents across the Liverpool City Region to recycle with confidence ahead of major system changes. Combining insight-led messaging with integrated delivery, the campaign reduced confusion, strengthened habits and helped make recycling feel simple, consistent and achievable.

The mission.

Helping residents recycle with confidence before system change.

The Recycle Right Winter Campaign was designed to strengthen recycling confidence ahead of the introduction of simpler, standardised recycling systems across the Liverpool City Region. While motivation to recycle was already high, behavioural research identified confusion, inconsistency and low confidence as key barriers.

Alongside building clarity and confidence, the campaign also prepared residents for the introduction of new behaviours, including food waste collections. This was supported through the development of clear, practical assets and guidance materials, ensuring households felt informed, capable and ready to adapt as system changes are rolled out.

The campaign.

A behaviour-led campaign combining visibility, clarity and action.

We delivered a multi-channel campaign combining out-of-home (OOH), paid search and paid social to reach residents at key moments. A layered OOH approach, including bus rears, billboards, educational animation and digital screens, created repeated, everyday prompts, while paid social and search provided clear, practical guidance at the point of need.

Messaging focused on simple, achievable actions, using behavioural principles to reduce effort, normalise recycling and build confidence. This integrated approach ensured residents encountered consistent guidance whether travelling, scrolling or actively searching for answers.

The impact.

The campaign reached over 820,000 people, significantly exceeding targets, and drove a 122% increase in website users alongside a 104% uplift in engaged sessions.

Search activity converted intent into action efficiently, while social and OOH reinforced behaviours through repeated exposure. Together, this strengthened confidence, increased engagement with recycling guidance, and prepared residents for upcoming system changes.