Four local authorities receive funds to boost recycling on-the-go near waterways

In The Loop

Areas surrounding waterways in Bury, Derby, Adur & Worthing and Bristol will soon be adorned with colourful and eye-catching bins to help residents and visitors recycle when out and about. The news comes as environmental charity Hubbub and Coca-Cola announce the winners of the In The Loop grant fund that launched in October to roll out public recycling points and boost out of home recycling in four new areas.

The fund aims to help reduce litter and increase recycling by collecting more glass, plastic bottles and cans and put these items back in the loop to be recycled.

The new #InTheLoop trials will involve the roll out of bright, colourful and eye-catching bins, targeted messaging and local partnerships to encourage positive behaviour change,  with a particular focus on reducing the level of rubbish reaching destinations downstream of the waterways where the campaigns are taking place.

The winning projects have been chosen as they offer the opportunity to test and learn from positive interventions in a range of different waterways, across various parts of the UK. They are:

1. Bury Council, who will install bins in Burrs Country Park, particularly along the River Irwell. The trial will involve volunteers from Burrs Country Park to promote recycling and reduce litter.
2. Derby City Council, who will situate bins along the River Derwent in the heart of the city and nearby green spaces  including Darley Park and the River Gardens. This will be supported by local community groups such as the Midland Canoe Club and the Friends of Derby Riverside Gardens
3. Adur & Worthing Councils, who will roll out bins along the seafront in Goring and Worthing, Shoreham Beach, Lancing Beach Green and Widewater Lagoon as well as work with community partners, the Coastal Office and West Sussex County Council to promote the improvements and monitor impact.
4. Bristol City Council, with Bristol Waste Company, who will create a highly visible trail of on-the-go recycling bins that lead from Castle Park, along the water’s edge, through the heart of the city and around the Harbourside. The partners will work with local stakeholders to launch and promote the initiative.

Along the River Derwent in the heart of the Derby City

The four winning projects will launch this summer, following in the steps of other trials part of #InTheLoop, the UK’s biggest collaborative approach to boost recycling on-the-go, which was first trialled in Leeds in 2018, followed by similar trials in Swansea, Edinburgh, Dublin, Wimbledon, Telford and Lambeth. Combined, these projects saw over 2.5 million plastic and glass bottles and cans collected and recycled.

Learnings will contribute with renewed insight to the #InTheLoop toolkit, an in-depth guide on how to roll out successful campaigns, to benefit other interested local authorities and organisations who can access the learnings and downloadable assets for free.

Beau Zilesnick, Project Lead at Hubbub, said: “We were highly impressed with the quality of the winning applications. These projects were selected for their ambitious plans to improve recycling rates and reduce litter ending up in our waterways in a range of different settings across the UK from a city harbour in Bristol, to busy tourist destinations like Worthing Seafront and rivers running through popular parks in Derby and Bury. This will allow #InTheLoop to build upon its legacy of introducing effective recycling on-the-go in parks, towns and cities across the UK and Ireland.”

Aaron Patel, Head of Public Affairs at Coca-Cola GB said: “The Coca-Cola Foundation is delighted to be part of the programme to showcase those who are most committed to helping people recycle. We all want a cleaner environment and supporting local initiatives to help encourage recycling and improve recycling rates is one small step towards a more sustainable future. We believe that, by working together, we can make a real difference in tackling waste.”

For more information on In The Loop, and to view the toolkit, including downloadable assets, visit www.intheloop.org.uk.