Real Progress, Real Difference, Real Recyclers – Recycle Week ’22 gets Real

Recycle Now launches theme for Recycle Week 2022
Coca-Cola GB, Danone, innocent and Ocado announced as first sponsors, with more on the way

Taking place between19^th – 25^th September, Recycle Week 2022 will inspire people to Get Real to improve recycling, tackling myths around recycling – such as wishcycling* and reducing resident confusion. Now in its nineteenth year, Recycle Week, is the nation’s biggest annual celebration of recycling.

Based on insights from WRAP’s citizen research, the campaign will demonstrate that recycling really is worthwhile. People will be guided to WRAP’s Recycling Locator to discover more about recycling in their own area.

The nationwide week of action involves business partners, community groups and local authorities across the UK, and has proven to be a major calendar event, with more than 3000 businesses and individuals joining the #RecycleWeek conversation in 2021. This year will be no different, with exciting campaign activity planned across the UK.

Sarah Clayton, Head of Citizen Behaviour Change WRAP**, said “Last year was the most successful Recycle Week ever in terms of changing behaviour, with 82% of people who saw the campaign content saying they had changed their behaviour as a result. We need to see that momentum continue.

In 2022, we want to show why recycling is important in the battle against the climate emergency. We are focusing on helping people recycle more effectively at home, showing people how to overcome barriers and providing simple support through our popular Recycling Locator.

We are thrilled to welcome sponsors Coca-Cola, Danone, innocent and Ocado on board to support us to help citizens improve their recycling behaviours, we’re keen to get more partners on board to help us to inspire the nation by cutting through the hyperbole and to be real about why we recycle, where we need to get to and what really happens. This year, Recycling gets REAL.”

Coca-Cola Great Britain, Danone, innocent, McDonalds and Ocado are the first to confirm their sponsorship of the annual campaign.

Jon Woods, Vice President & General Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain & Ireland, “We’re proud to be a partner of such an impactful week. This year’s theme speaks to our ongoing ambition in supporting real clarity, innovation, and progress towards a World Without Waste. Earlier this month we introduced new attached caps to our portfolio. It’s one of many changes we’re making to support our global commitment to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone that we sell by 2025.”

Jenny Pidgeon, Head of Sustainability and Social Innovation, Danone UK & Ireland,

“As a founding member of the UK Plastics Pact and a certified B Corp, Danone UK & Ireland is proud to, once again, support Recycle Week 2022 and the ambition to ‘get real about recycling’. Working towards a circular economy of packaging and driving enhanced transparency and trust is core to our values. Whilst we continue to progress on our roadmaps to recyclability and increased recycled content in our packaging, we’re committed to support campaigns to encourage recycling.”

Emilie Stephenson, UK Head of Force for Good, innocent drinks, “There is sadly much cynicism around recycling in the UK these days and yet it’s still one of the most tangible actions people can take to drive circular economy and combat the climate crisis. In partnering with WRAP and the wider industry for Recycle Week, we at innocent drinks want to continue raising awareness of this topic and ultimately be part of the solution to plastic pollution.”

Helen McFarlane, Senior Sustainability Consultant at McDonald’s UK and Ireland, “We’re really pleased to be supporting Recycle Week once again this year. We believe that the future of materials is circular and that we need to close the loop on waste. As part of our Plan for Change we have set ourselves ambitious goals around the recyclability of our packaging including a commitment that all our customer packaging will come from recyclable, renewable or certified sources by 2024. We want to help Britain ‘Get Real’ about recycling and with over 1,100 recycling units across our restaurant estate we’d encourage our all our customers to join us alongside WRAP on that mission.”

Jonathan Wiseman, General Counsel and Chief People Officer at Ocado Retail, “We’re delighted to be supporting Recycle Week, a fantastic initiative helping to educate and encourage people to drive a sustainable change in behaviours. As part of our ambition to be the most sustainable grocer, we’re committed to helping our customers to do the right thing – recycle more and better.”

A partner pack to show how individual organisations can take part in this year’s Recycle Week is now available from the WRAP website. New campaign assets, which organisations can tailor, will soon be available.

Recycle Now is urging more organisations to become sponsors and put their collective voice together and Get Real about recycling.