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Flemish raise awareness campaigns on waste sorting
Published on 26 August 2019
Belgium
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Throughout the history of Flemish waste management, OVAM and other waste related agencies did several raise awareness campaigns. The purpose was not always to attend people onto the fact they need to sort, but also which article needs to go into which bin and to put their waste into a bin in the first place and not into the environment.
This good practice is meant to give fellow organisations inspiration in how such a campaign can look like. Most campaigns in Flanders are done via posters, on places which are known to generate a lot of waste (shopping streets, bus stops, alongside highways,…). Also radio and TV commercials exist.
A recent project which is a major success is the Mooimakers project: citizens can actively make a claim on a terrain or parts of their street to clean up litter. The tools to clean up (gloves, pincers, safety jacket and garbage bags) can be borrowed for free at the local municipalities. Also schools and (sport)clubs can join. They report a target, afterwards report the result and get a financial reward for this, depending on the amount of waste that was collected.
This good practice is meant to give fellow organisations inspiration in how such a campaign can look like. Most campaigns in Flanders are done via posters, on places which are known to generate a lot of waste (shopping streets, bus stops, alongside highways,…). Also radio and TV commercials exist.
A recent project which is a major success is the Mooimakers project: citizens can actively make a claim on a terrain or parts of their street to clean up litter. The tools to clean up (gloves, pincers, safety jacket and garbage bags) can be borrowed for free at the local municipalities. Also schools and (sport)clubs can join. They report a target, afterwards report the result and get a financial reward for this, depending on the amount of waste that was collected.
Resources needed
Campaigns can be as cheap or as expensive as you want. Poster campaigns are the most used medium because they are the cheapest to make. Radio and certainly TV commercials can become very expensive very rapidly. OVAM creates a lot of its content in house (3 FTE).
Evidence of success
The amount of MSW has declined in Flanders, on average with 10% per inhabitant since 2013. On a longer timeframe the decline is most distinct for residual waste: 56% between 1995 and 2015. The more recent Mooimakers campaign, described above, to clean up litter and actively involves citizens is a major success.
Potential for learning or transfer
Below a list of links to some campaigns and related information:
https://www.fostplus.be/fr/fr-fost-plus/fr-de-campagnes-van-fost-plus/fr-zwerfvuilcampagnes
https://ovam.be/iksorteer
https://mooimakers.be/
https://www.fostplus.be/fr/fr-fost-plus/fr-de-campagnes-van-fost-plus/fr-zwerfvuilcampagnes
https://ovam.be/iksorteer
https://mooimakers.be/
Good practice owner
Organisation
OVAM - Public Waste Agency of Flanders
Belgium
Prov. Antwerpen
Contact
Project coordinator