Essential Customer Understanding // Every year Scotland generates 12M tonnes of waste, a fifth of which comes from households. Historically less than 2M tonnes was recycled or reused, the remainder going to landfill sites in Scotland. These sites are fast running out of capacity and are increasingly contaminating the environment on which we all depend through ground pollution & greenhouse gases. The Scottish government has long recognised these issues & recent changes in European legislation & public attitudes has accelerated a national framework of sustainable waste management.

Creative Connection // Reassessing the extensive 2003 National Waste Plan research into Scotland's attitudes to waste highlighted that dramatic results could be achieved if everyone made a small, easy change to their lifestyle. Facilitating these changes through long-term local council support was critical to the campaign's success.

We recognised the need to produce a highly adaptable concept, encompassing all 32 local authorities whilst portraying a sustainable approach. Picking up on the cyclical nature of waste, an 'eternal knot' identity was developed. From this advertising concepts were created & the cyclical concept of herald, detail, result & consultation applied to each of the 17 or so local campaign messages.

Genius Effect // The government target for Scotland in 2006 is a 25% increase in domestic waste recycling. Since launch every council to implement a full campaign has dramatically improved recycling rates e.g. Angus +45%, Dundee +56%, Grampian +34%, Stirling +100%, Perth +37%, West Dunbartonshire +150%.