Press Release

August 2006 - Home grown campaign Choose2Reuse reaping rewards

The regional campaign 'Choose2Reuse' has proved successful at raising awareness of the benefits of reusing items and celebrates a year of achievements.

The Choose2Reuse campaign is a regional initiative in the East of England, which aims at increasing the quality and quantity of donations to charity shops and furniture projects, as well as encouraging the purchase of pre-owned goods.

The campaign is run in partnership by the Association of Charity Shops and Cambridgeshire and Essex Community Reuse and Recycling Networks with funding from the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) Environmental Action Fund.

The campaign has incorporated a wide range of promotional activities, from posters and leaflets at participating charity shops, to imaginative activities such as a 'Green Santa' collecting unwanted Christmas presents and other goods in January 2006.

A recent assessment in the 500 participating outlets from 40 registered charities have shown that the campaign has contributed to an increase in the quality and quantity of donations, with 19% of the shops surveyed confirming it.

Another key component of the campaign is the 'Reuse Champion', a resident who volunteers to promote the campaign or provides help at the charity shops. During the ten-week campaign,55 new volunteers were recruited, performing a variety of roles depending on their personal interests, skills and time available.

When Project Manager Nikki DiGiovanni was asked to share the campaign's formula for success she said " To follow the Choose 2 Reuse formula for social behaviour change: begin with the social benefits, identify the desired behaviour and provide catalysts, information and role models to promote change add these together to achieve sustainable social behaviour change, then package these elements with snappy strap lines, eye-catching iconography and promote liberally with radio and press coverage."

The campaign is now into its second year and a consumer campaign will be introduced to build on the success of the January campaign to close the loop by encouraging pre-owned goods purchase. It will feature 'Buy Now, Donate later' as a core message and will be seen in charity shops and furniture group outlets in October.

Notes to Editors:

For more information about the Choose2Reuse campaign, contact Nikki DiGiovanni, Project Manager for Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network on 01354 742300 or email nikki@ccorrn.org.uk.

For information about the Association of Charity Shops, visit www.charityshops.org.uk.

The 'Choose2Reuse' campaign started in Cambridgeshire to raise awareness amongst residents about the environmental and socio-economic value of reusing by CCORRN and support from Cambridgeshire County. In 2005, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recognised the achievements and potential of the campaign and granted £111,000 to expand area of coverage of the campaign from Cambridgeshire to the whole East of England and work in partnership with the Association of Charity Shops and ECORRN. Matchfunding was made available by 'Awards for All' through ECCORRN, Northampton University, The Association of Charity Shops and CCORRN.

Further information about the Cambridgeshire and Essex Community Reuse and Recycling Network is available on line, visit www.ccorrn.org.uk or www.ecorrn.org.uk.

Fact file:

1. The project is a 3-year pilot operating in the Anglia region including the local authority areas of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. The project is being undertaken in partnership with two of the community reuse and recycling networks operating in the area, Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network (CCORRN) and Essex Community Reuse and Recycling Network (ECORRN).

2. The campaign was a Green Apple Award runner-up in the category of 'Awareness Campaign' in 2005.

3. The evaluations sent to the *500 participating Charity shops from 40 registered charities have produced some interesting results:

• The target of 1500 volunteer hours was exceeded
• Of those participating 25% met the full project criteria
• An average of 19% of survey respondents thought that the campaign had increased the quantity of donations
• 14% stated that the campaign appeared to have had a positive impact on the quality of donations.
• 15% agreed the campaign had resulted an increase in the number of customers

4. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership was awarded beacon council status for waste and recycling 2006/7 for his excellence in dealing with waste. The Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network was praised by the assessment panel for its effectiveness in engaging with the community sector to achieve greater environmental benefits.

5. Cambridgeshire County Council is the top Shire county recycler in England with a recycling rate of 43.5% in 2005/6. The average in England is 23% and the average in the East of England is 29%