Trash 4 Treats: Rewarding sustainable habits

Issued by dotGOOD

27 Aug 2021

Keeping the environment clean is a learned behaviour that benefits us all. The INEOS Trash 4 Treats project teaches primary school learners the importance of recycling at a tender age to help them build positive habits for the long term. This year, following a successful pilot with ten schools, INEOS has expanded its project to an additional 20 schools in Phillipi, Belhar and Nyanga in the Western Cape. In return for the most recyclable waste collected, learners are rewarded with exciting treats, and schools stand a chance of winning their share of R60,000 in prize money to upgrade their facilities.

INEOS Trash 4 Treats aims to demonstrate to young learners from low-income households that recyclable waste has value. It motivates them to keep their environment clean in return for rewards through games, educational videos and a colourful recycling mascot, Trashy. The project pairs schools with local waste collectors who buy back the waste collected on-site, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that benefits the community.

Trash 4 Treats: Rewarding sustainable habits

“Not only are we encouraging learners to care for the environment from a young age, but we also hope to plant the seeds for circular economies in the communities that we reach. When the learners start receiving rewards, they are driven to recycle more and can share their learnings with family and friends,” says Ursula Heath, Communications Manager at INEOS. “Behaviour change can be achieved through a combination of education, recognition and reward,” she adds.

Teachers at each school also receive pre-awareness hampers with food items in glass, metal, paper and plastic packaging to demonstrate the different types of substrates that can be recycled. Bags of different colours are provided to learners to sort their recyclable waste and place it in the bins provided at school. The project makes use of edutainment in the form of an audiovisual presentation and a magician who performs magic tricks using packaging to teach recycling and launch the competition at each school.

To date, the project has engaged with 33,000 learners and recycled 22,000kg of waste. “Based on the successes already achieved, we are keen to find South African partners to help us expand our impact even further,” says Heath. “The opportunity offers a viable solution for organisations looking to become compliant with the Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, which will come into effect later this year, and allows them to help inspire the responsible consumers of the future,” she concludes.

For more information on the project or details on how to get involved, contact Shilpa on +27 11 447 0427 or az.oc.doogtod@aplihS.

Issued by cause marketing agency, dotGOOD.