Glenorchy City Council

When Glenorchy City Council decided to revise its Waste Management Strategy, they realised it needed more than a simple redesign.

With the landfill site nearing capacity, it was clear the municipality had to rethink how they handled their waste materials.

With climate change, recycling and reduction of plastic usage all so topical at the moment, this was the perfect opportunity to speak to the broader Glenorchy population about their attitude and behaviours around waste.

At S. Group, we're always down for a challenge! Creating behavioural change in a municipality with low levels of literacy, a large migrant population and a council still working to regain trust within the community, was always going to be a challenge.

We first looked at unearthing key insights:

• What was it that stopped people from caring about their waste?
• How do people feel about the issue of waste management?
• Why should they care?

It was clear that while all of these issues are topical, people often felt overwhelmed by the doom and gloom of messaging. They felt like whatever they did wouldn't make a difference anyway – like the problem was all just too big, and not their responsibility. Well, that's where we see things differently!

Starting with the concept of 'It all comes back to u', we developed a campaign that emphasised the simplicity of the message and the actions required to make a difference.

Using fun graphics and friendly illustrations, the campaign would appeal to a wide range of people – including those with low levels of literacy, and help get convey the message easily.

Instead of dark, foreboding imagery of clogged waterways and dying sea life, we aimed to create impact with bright, friendly and approachable messages, that could consistently apply to a range of mediums – from the waste management strategy itself, to a stand alone micro-site all about waste, to FAQ sheets and social media.