New campaign asks young people: 'Are you bothered about recycling?'

Young people in Lambeth are being challenged to think seriously about recycling and show they are 'bothered' about the recycling cause, as part of a major new campaign launched by Lambeth Council.

The council wants young people to show their support for recycling by texting the word 'bothered' along with their name, address and postcode, to 87202.

All those who enter will receive an information pack delivered to their homes with useful tips on recycling, and will also be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of HMV vouchers, which will run each week for four weeks.

The 'Bothered?' recycling campaign has been launched to get young people in the borough talking about recycling, boost recycling levels, and reduce the amount of waste Lambeth residents send to landfill sites. While many young people in the borough are keen recyclers, a recent survey by the council showed only 10% of young people questioned rated pollution of the environment and recycling as being a concern.

Lambeth currently recycles 23% of all the waste it produces, but has a target of increasing recycling levels to 25% by 2010.

The posters will run on buses in the borough for four weeks, and at poster sites across Lambeth for eight weeks. The campaign, which is aimed at young people aged 11+, starts on November 27 2006.