MRWA is the statutory authority for waste across Merseyside & Halton. It takes a lead in advocating recycling and waste minimisation, including food waste.

Marketing PRojects was commissioned by MRWA to devise, develop and run an innovative food recipe new centre for the residents of Merseyside & Halton (1.5 million people/660,000 households). The aims of the project, running May to October, were to highlight the amount of domestic food waste currently directed to landfill; encourage reduction in this food waste; promote the use of recycled food products in cooking and create a legacy of on-going food waste reduction by the Region.

The theme, “Make 28 Taste Great!” was devised and developed, by Marketing PRojects, and is based on the fact that 28% of the Region’s domestic household waste is currently food. The brand promotion programmes, food new centres, prize winners and signature recipe cards were all aimed at creating interest, engagement, action and legacy.

Promotional activities included press & media releases; celebrity participation & endorsement; new media (web site, twitter, email, text, etc.); leaflet drops at community/recreation centres, retail & local authority outlets; attending high-profile events; a cook-off new centre with Celebrity Chefs Brian Mellor and Paul Askew; production and promotion of signature/winner recipe cards. All activities were positioned alongside national (Love Food, Hate Waste), Regional (MRWA) and Local Authority programmes. Schools, Colleges, Housing Associations and Libraries were actively involved as were local Food Producers and Retail Outlets.

The “Make 28 Taste Great!” project was considered a huge success and Value for Money by both the MRWA and its Stakeholders, maximising resident engagement and participation.

“I manage a successful and national award winning waste prevention programme for Merseyside and Halton. As part of that programme, I contracted Marketing PRojects to run a recipe competition across Merseyside and Halton which would support our successful Love Food Hate Waste Campaign and target reductions in the 28% food waste that is sent to landfill.

The team were very creative, helpful and professional. They developed the Make 28 Taste Great campaign for us which saw over 20,000 people engaged in a variety of ways including social media and videos. The audience were informed not only about the competition but about changing their behaviour to reduce food waste and make financial savings.

The company delivered everything they promised and added value in using their celebrity chefs contacts, conducting Cook Offs at the local Academy and secretly inviting “someone special” for each winner to cook for. The results were two new food Ambassadors for Merseyside, a number of new signature recipe cards with a local twist for download from our website and the project is now a shortlisted finalist in the waste prevention category of the National Recycling Awards.

I would happily recommend Marketing Projects who can deliver a quality project on time and to budget.”

Stuart Donaldson, Waste Strategy Manager, Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority