UK consumers are being urged to recycle more and accelerate the shift towards a better use of the world’s resources in a new TV campaign from global environmental action organisation Wrap, being run through Sky Media’s Sky Zero Footprint Fund.
‘Rescue Me, Recycle’, produced with creative agency Among Equals, tackles one of the biggest barriers to recycling: confidence in what and how to recycle. It is airing across Sky channels from this week.
Despite strong intent, recycling behaviours remain inconsistent. Wrap’s latest research reveals that while 89% of UK households regularly recycle, 79% admit to throwing away at least one item that could have been recycled, with the average household typically missing two to three items that could have been recycled.
Confidence about what can and cannot be recycled also remains low, with just 9% of people feeling “very confident” about what can be recycled.
Wrap secured £200,000 in advertising through the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, which provides £2m in media value to support organisations driving environmental change. Wrap is the winner of the Fund’s Catalyst Category, which was created to support charities and not-for-profits that deliver meaningful impact but often face barriers to scaling awareness.
By personifying commonly binned household items, such as toilet roll tubes, perfume bottles and aerosols, the campaign aims to give them human traits, emotions and voices, inspiring people to care for them more and reframing recycling as an act of ‘rescue’.
The 30″ TV ad brings one of these characters to life with humour and emotion, showing the ‘dreams’ of a discarded toilet roll and the fate they face if they are not recycled. By making everyday objects relatable and memorable, the campaign aims to connect with people who don’t care that much about recycling and inspire them to recycle more.
The campaign supports the long running Recycle Now campaign that runs across social media and other digital channels and culminates in the annual Recycle Week – this year taking place from September 14 to Sunday 20 – when additional ‘Rescue Me’ characters bring to life other recyclable items commonly binned.
Supported by collaborations with government, councils, retailers and manufacturers, Recycle Week brings the nation together for a week to drive lasting changes in recycling behaviours.
The urgency of this shift is clear: the products we consume often have a harmful impact on a planet already at tipping point, but recycling just one additional toilet roll tube per household each week could save enough energy to power over 26,000 homes for a year. And that one small action can lead to more impactful and sustained changes in recycling and reuse behaviour.
Wrap communications director David Wilson said: “We’ve just seen one of the largest reforms to recycling in England with Simpler Recycling, and this ad reminds people everywhere that they can play their part in using our precious resources more sustainably.
“Wrap is on a mission to embed circular living into every boardroom and every home, and we are incredibly grateful to the Sky Zero Footprint Fund for giving us the opportunity to scale and help give even more recyclable items a second life. If everyone recycles just one more item correctly, it’ll create positive impact.”
Using Sky’s data-led targeting capabilities, the campaign will reach relevant audiences at scale with the aim of driving measurable impact, improving recycling accuracy, increasing capture rates and supporting the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, circular economy.
Among Equals creative strategy director Meg Jordan commented: “Recycling has a confidence problem, not an awareness one. People know they should do it – 89% already are. The 79% who are still binning recyclables aren’t ignorant, they’re uncertain.
“Behavioural science tells us that empathy is one of the most powerful drivers of action – so rather than hit people with more information, we made them feel something. We took the items ending up in the wrong bin and gave them a personality, a platform, and an audience.
“The strength of the idea is in its simplicity. By giving recyclables a voice and a sense of humour, we put the items people forget about firmly in the foreground. Turns out, even toilet rolls have a story to tell.”
Sky group director of bigger picture and sustainability Fiona Ball added: “This campaign shows the power of creativity and data‑driven media to turn good intentions into real-world impact. Through the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, we’re proud to support advertising that makes more sustainable choices simpler, more engaging and accessible for households at scale.”
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