How to Design Messages

Find out what research shows about designing messages that are effective and promote recycling.

Messaging Basics

Always consider your audience

  • While it sounds basic, make sure that you think about your audience carefully when you design your messages. Especially think about their educational and income levels and whether they live in a rural or urban environment. (See FAQs for more information about how education and income affect how recycling messages are received [ADD LINK TO FAQ]).

Understand the need(s) of your audience

  • Messages shouldn’t be about what you need. They should be about what your community needs. Let your audience know the benefit(s) they’ll get from recycling, including feeling like they’re doing something good.

Make sure they can read and understand your messages

Distribute your messages as broadly as possible!

  • It can be easy to just focus on web-based channels and social media to get the message out but in reality, people use a mix of sources.
  • Young people still read newspapers from time to time and older adults are more tech-savvy than you might think!

General Tips for Writing Messages

Avoid fear appeals

  • Overloading people with negative information tends to make it the only thing they remember

Don’t myth-bust

  • Similar to fear appeals, myth-busting has been shown to be counterproductive. People remember the myths far more than they do the actual facts

Give people an action in your messages. Ask them to DO something!

Tips for Recycling-specific Messages

Diversify your recycling messages; give different reasons to recycle

  • Not everyone thinks about recycling in the same way or even knows what recycling is
  • While important, it isn’t all about the environment. People recycle for a lot of different reasons. Including messages about reducing clutter, saving money, or feeling good about themselves will help you connect with as many people as possible.

People respond well to messages that tell them what and why to recycle

  • People want recycling to be as simple and guess-free as possible, so give them simple ways to understand what’s actually recyclable in their area
  • People also want to feel like they’re having an impact when they do take the time to recycle, so be sure to tell them why they should and what happens when they do

People respond well to messages that tell them what and why to recycle

  • People want recycling to be as simple and guess-free as possible, so give them simple ways to understand what they can recycle in their area
  • People also want to feel like they’re having a positive impact when they do take the time to recycle, so be sure to tell them why they should recycle and what good things happen when they do

Let people know what they CAN’T recycle but keep the focus positive

  • People like positive recycling messages more than negative ones but they also want accurate information. Let people know what they can’t recycle but keep it light; don’t make huge red “Xs” the focus of your messages

Create both simple messages and ones that go into more detail but don’t try to mix the two

  • People like different kinds of messages at different times so it’s worth it to provide both simple, easy to understand messages for when people need on-the-spot information, and more in-depth informational messages that people can keep at home and refer to when needed

 Don’t have time to make your own messages? Check out messages that we’ve tested and found to be effective. You can use them if you want to.