The digital campaign takes place over three weeks in November across three cities – London, Bristol and Glasgow. Aimed at commuters who often buy single-use food and drink packaging while on-the-go, it raises awareness of the benefits of choosing reuse along with some playful ‘hacks’ to remember reusable containers.
Barriers to reuse
Most people own some form of reusable packaging, from flasks and sports bottles to takeaway containers. Despite this, one of the key barriers to reuse is forgetting to bring reusables when leaving the house.
Hubbub found that 69% of people own a reusable coffee cup, but only 1 in 6 say they remember to use it every time they buy a hot drink. Additionally, they found 32% of people intended to use reusables but forget to bring them at least once a week.
Ecosurety has collaborated with Bunzl, the specialist international distribution and services group to fund this campaign, building the public’s knowledge of the benefits of reuse to prevent single-use packaging waste and encourage more sustainable long-term consumer behaviour.
Making reuse the norm
While the goal of the campaign is to help people remember their reusables, the overarching aim is to lead to more sustainable behaviours such as using refill stations, reuse schemes and looking for other ways to reduce waste such as rental, repairs and food waste.
The campaign features digital adverts, collaborations with social media influencers, and a tongue-in-cheek video highlighting humorous ways to remember reusables – from putting your water bottle in your shoe, to leaving your keys in the fridge on your lunchbox. Asking #WhatsYourHack ?
On 9 November, Ecosurety joined the Hubbub team at St Nicholas Market in Bristol for an engagement event, where performers from Ministry of Fun engaged with the public at lunchtime, asking their thoughts on reuse and if they have any ‘hacks’ for remembering their reusables.
An essential step away from single-use
Ecosurety’s Sustainability and Marketing Manager, Steph Housty, commented: “At Ecosurety we are committed to accelerating the adoption of reuse solutions, as is an essential step away from single-use packaging waste and towards a more sustainable future. Whilst recycling remains important, reuse is where we can truly make a lasting impact, so we are delighted to partner with Hubbub and Bunzl on this campaign”.
James Pitcher, Head of Sustainability at Bunzl plc said: “We have been using our scale and unique position at the centre of the supply chain to work with our customers and suppliers to lead the industry towards a more sustainable approach to packaging. To move away from a linear mindset to a more circular one we need everyone to understand the benefits involved, which is why we’re delighted to have supported this work”.
Gavin Ellis, Hubbub’s Director and Co-Founder, commented: “We know that, even with the best intentions, it’s easy to forget your reusable bottle, cup or lunch box when leaving the house. With this campaign we want to highlight how reusables can be incorporated into our daily routines, just like remembering your phone, wallet or keys”
