Reform Recycling
A campaign to revolutionise the way that Britain recycles.
Spring 2020
The Brief
At the moment there is a chronic abundance of non-recyclable plastic food packaging. There is also packaging that is made from both recyclable and non-recyclable material, making it more difficult for consumers to recycle. In addition the UK has no standardised recycling infrastructure, meaning that whether or not you can recycle something depends on what area of the country you live in, which is nonsensical. The campaign should harness pre-existing consumer desire for less plastic waste to lobby business and government to introduce new standards that will benefit the environment, consumers, and businesses. The target audience is primarily the public but government and businesses need to notice if change is to take place. The campaign could persuade the public to demand change, highlight legislative shortcomings, and show how companies can embrace change.
The Outcome
As this was the final major project for my final year in university, the brief was open to do whatever I wanted. Recognising a poor user experience and various drawbacks of Britain’s recycling effort, I decided to create a campaign that aims to reform UK recycling. Initially I wanted to design packaging that demonstrates the possibility of using purely recycled and recyclable packaging in a premium and innovative way. However it made more sense to make a focused campaign instead of attempting to solve an industrial problem. After extensive research I began developing concepts and eventually decided on pastiching the confusing recycling labels typically found on the back of most products. To do this I created a series of illustrations that were designed to work alongside copywriting and tactile visuals to make eye-catching posters, billboards, online adverts, website and merchandise.
