REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT

- SOUTH HAMPSHIRE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

REPORT TO COUNCIL

PART II

PROJECT INTEGRA: BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE STRATEGY

1. The collection and processing infrastructure is now in place for Hampshire Councils to achieve a recycling target of 40%. However, in order to help achieve this target it is crucially important to encourage behavioural change amongst residents to increase the range and frequency of recycling at the kerbside. Accordingly, the Project Integra partners - the County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils, the eleven Hampshire District Councils, and Hampshire Waste Services - have embarked upon a £1.6m Behavioural Change Strategy part of which involves direct face to face contact with residents ("door stepping"). Briefly the door stepping programme involves a team of recycling advisers, recruited locally from six pilot areas of Rushmoor, Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Havant, Southampton and the New Forest, calling at residents' homes to advise them on how to make the most effective use of their kerbside recycling containers, and to encourage them to recycle more materials, more frequently. The programme is extensively monitored to assess whether this does raise recycling levels.

2. In addition, it will be necessary for an ongoing programme of training to be developed and delivered to enable collection crews, supervisors and support staff to play key roles in delivering the Behavioural Change Strategy.

3. Following a detailed procurement process in accordance with the County Council's Financial Regulations, a framework contract of up to £500,000 in value has been awarded to specialist consultants Business Eco-Network, Community Recycling Services, and Environmental Resources Management, for door stepping and training work over a 3-year period. Work commenced in June and the programme will run until March 2006.

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