Be a hero!

The partners are analysing the campaign and assessing whether it achieved its goals: to raise awareness about the importance of glass recycling, and to increase the amount of glass collected for recycling within the community. The digital project, targeted at Koprivnica‘s resident population of over 30,000 started in July of last year with an initial survey exploring the community’s challenges with the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibilities) glass recycling system. The system focuses on glass jars and bottles of less than 200 ml that are collected via communal containers and are not included in the deposit return system. The survey revealed that residents were discouraged from recycling due to the inconvenience of having to rinse bottles and jars as well as long distances to the nearest recycling containers.

Targeted messages, targeted distribution

These findings directly shaped the messages that were subsequently developed for the campaign: they provided solutions to concerns like distance to containers, and shifted the focus from the perceived inconvenience of glass recycling to its significant environmental impact. The campaign visuals drew on the familiarity of iconic Croatian personalities and a superhero, conveying the clear message: with glass recycling, everyone can be an environmental hero! The digital campaign was launched in October 2024 with online and social media ads and landing pages. During the campaign, the interactions with the content were repeatedly analysed and the messaging optimised to achieve even better impact on the community. Overall, engagement with the campaign was high and continued to grow, demonstrating increased community interest and the effectiveness of targeted messaging. A post-campaign survey was conducted in June to assess whether there were any changes in attitudes and behaviours regarding glass recycling.

What’s to come?

In the months to come, the project partners will evaluate and analyse the results of the pre- and post-campaign surveys and, crucially, the amount of glass collected for recycling in Koprivnica. This result will be benchmarked against a neighbouring community where there was no such campaign. The insights from these comprehensive analyses will determine the full impact of this campaign and whether it can serve as a blueprint for future recycling campaigns both within Croatia and internationally. One thing is already clear: with targeted messaging, based on understanding a community’s challenges, issues like glass recycling can become interesting and even inspiring.