Environmental communication in the Baix Ebre

Campaign for the new introduction of the selective collection of Organic Matter and the new compact collection system

Starting in July 2008, the introduction of the new container model with compact islands was launched in all the municipalities that make up the Baix Ebre region. This implementation of the new container model has been carried out progressively, until the end of 2010, at which time the entire Baix Ebre region has the new compact collection model with the "easy" system.

Comparativa models

Camio i 5 fraccions

This change in the collection system has been communicated to the population through informative talks and posters, and has also been disseminated through local radio stations in those municipalities that have this medium.

Parallel to the implementation of the new compact collection model, the selective collection of the organic fraction has been extended to all the municipalities of the Baix Ebre, since until 2008 only those over 5,000 inhabitants had this service. This deployment of the organic fraction has been subsidized by the Agència de Residus de Catalunya, through the aid order MAH / 3715/2007.

For such an undertaking, two communication campaigns have been deployed, the execution of which is considered from the same lines of action, channeling a reinforcement message for municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants that already had the selective collection of the organic matter and one of preparation for those under 5,000 inhabitants. The campaigns have been in charge of the Escola del Parc, a company specialized in the matter.

Reinforcement campaign

In broad terms, this campaign has focused on the municipalities with a number of inhabitants greater than 5,000, Tortosa and Roquetes, which already had the organic fraction implemented, although with another collection system. In these municipalities, a diptych mailing has been carried out to inform the population of the change in the system. Informative talks have also been carried out explaining what must be deposited in the brown container of the organic fraction and the management and treatment process of the same, in order to improve the quantity and quality. In addition, once the new containers were installed on the public highway, the environmental educators of the Escola del Parc have proceeded to assist the most central container islands, in order to advise the population.

New implementation campaign

Campanya nova implantació

The new implementation campaign has focused on all the municipalities of the region, except Tortosa and Roquetes (since they are part of the reinforcement campaign). In these municipalities, kits have been distributed for recycling the organic fraction (aerated buckets and a package of compostable bags) and also diptychs to inform the population of the change in the selective collection system. Informative talks have also been carried out to explain what the organic fraction consists of and what we can deposit and what not, and the process of treatment and management of it. In this case, assistance has also been provided on container islands.

General communication actions

Campanya de comunicació

These actions are basically focused on media communication, since this is considered very useful as an instrument to make the population aware of what is intended and to provoke their participation. It has been believed of vital importance to make the media communication actions of both communication campaigns coincide in space and time, mainly using the regional media (without underestimating, of course, the indigenous media resources of the municipalities). Two television spots, radio spots and advertisements for the written press have been published.

Campaign to reinforce the Organic Fraction

Thanks to the aid order of the ARC, MAH / 1255/2006 and, once the selective collection of the organic fraction has been implemented in all the municipalities of the Baix Ebre, at the end of 2009 it is considered convenient to carry out this campaign to improve the quantity and quality of the organic matter collected and return the results of the previous campaign to the population.

Thus, after the campaign to implement the selective collection of organic matter in all the municipalities of the Baix Ebre, the main objective of this campaign is to convey to the population that, thanks to their involvement and response to the new model, The recovery rate has been increased and they encourage them to continue with the same line and further increase the rate and, above all, improve quality.

Campanya de comunicació orgànica

The slogan of the campaign was the following: "Choose organic, for a better future" and it was carried out by the educators of the Escola del Parc, an environmental education company that had carried out the previous campaign . These educators have distributed among the population the packaged compound of the Mas de Barberans composting plant and a magnetic one with illustrations of the waste that must be deposited in the brown container.

The fact of returning the compound to citizens constitutes a way to convey to them that they are the key to closing the organic matter cycle and that thanks to their gesture of depositing organic waste in the brown lid container it has been possible this return.

In addition, parallel to this distribution campaign, a campaign has been carried out in the media, with the publication of an advertisement for the written press and three radio spots on organic matter, the protagonist of this campaign.

Promotion of the selective collection of Paper-Cardboard, Containers and Glass

Since the Consorci per a la gestió dels Residus de la comarca del Baix Ebre (ReBé) is adhered to the Agreement of Ecoembes (EEE) and Ecovidrio (EV), there are financial resources destined to carry out campaigns of communication to promote the selective collection of packaging.

Within this framework, the ReBé has carried out the following campaigns:

Media campaign

Edition of spots for local radio stations and announcements for the written press, during the months of February and March 2009.

Regarding the advertisements, the design and the slogan correspond to the emblem image of the entire communication line that has been carried out in the region due to the change in the collection system and the implementation in all municipalities of the selective collection of the organic fraction. Therefore, the initial announcement has been modified, emphasizing the paper, glass and container fractions and incorporating messages highlighting what must be deposited in each of these containers. This advertisement has appeared repeatedly in the weekly La Veu de l'Ebre and Més Ebre during the months of February and March 2009.

Campanya de comunicació

As for the wedges, three have been edited, one per fraction, since there are many concepts to communicate in relation to packaging and it is considered that all of these in the same wedge are heavy and difficult for the listener to assimilate. These have been broadcast daily during the months of February and March through Imagina Radio (106.0) with a frequency of 3 passes a day for each fraction.

Edition and distribution of raffia bags

During the first half of 2011, 11,300 sets of 23x45x23cm polypropylene bags were distributed, ideal for the selective collection of each of the packaging fractions at source. These are bags that have handles to facilitate their handling and are equipped with velcro that allows the union between them. They have a 25L capacity and the front space of the bags has been used to include informative information on the different packaging fractions.

Bosses de ràfia

 

Bosses de ràfia

The distribution of this material has been channeled through various channels:

- In the smallest mountain municipalities (less than 1,000 inhabitants), door-to-door distribution.
- In those larger municipalities that have local stations, programs have been carried out on centralized radios in these three fractions and where citizens have actively participated, solving the questions raised in this regard and also contributing their doubts and concerns.
- In the largest municipalities, informative talks have been organized, where they have been distributed to the attendees and also through the collaboration of the Town Halls.

All these actions have been carried out through the two environmental communicators of ReBé, who temporarily hired to carry out campaigns.

Awareness campaigns - ReBé fund

Through ReBé's own funds, in 2009 a regional recycling guide was published, which explains the waste that must go in each container, which is made from the content of each container, energy savings associated with collection selective, which is paid with the garbage fee, etc.

Some municipalities of the Baix Ebre have carried out specific campaigns adapted to their needs:

- L'Ampolla: hiring two communicators in the municipality of L'Ampolla to carry out communication and awareness tasks at street level during the summer months.
- The City Council of L'Aldea publishes 1,800 diptychs to distribute in the municipality and a promotional video of recycling.
- Deltebre carries out a campaign in educational centers, by hiring an environmental education company specialized in the matter.

During 2010 the following campaigns are carried out in the entire region:

Campaign to promote the selective collection of light, paper-cardboard and glass packaging

Edition and distribution of 12,000 raffia bags for the separation of household waste from paper-cardboard, glass and packaging.

It is the same material that had been acquired with the grant from Ecoembes and Ecovidrio and thanks to this fund it is possible to make it reach a greater number of citizens, extending the door to door to more municipalities.

Material is also distributed to the City Councils so that they can dispose of it and distribute it later through the associative fabric or the organization of talks or workshops focused on recycling.

Waste prevention campaign

Edition and distribution of 32,500 cloth shopping bags, in order to prevent the proliferation of plastic bags.

Bosses de roba

Bosses de roba

This material is distributed through the two ReBé communicators, from door to door in the smallest municipalities, and in the largest municipalities, through points enabled for this purpose, such as, for example, municipal markets .

If you are interested, you can also consult the page of the Agència de Residus de Catalunya (http://residus.gencat.cat/ca/inici/), where you will find, among others, games to promote selective collection and prevention of municipal waste, the list of campaigns carried out by the Agency and other Catalan administrations, materials, etc.