The City of Ottawa was not meeting its organic waste diversion targets. Research showed a large number of citizens are inconsistent users of their green bins, largely due to the mess factor. People know it’s ‘the right thing to do to use their green bins, but at the same time are turned off by how disgusting organic waste becomes, especially when it sits during the summer months. To encourage more use, the city decided to allow organic waste in plastic bags as a way to address the problem. 

The introduction of plastics into the organic stream however is controversial. A creative campaign was required to bring attention to the new options directed to the general public in Ottawa. The objective was to significantly boost the use of the green bin, and increase organic waste diversion.

Our strategy focused on connecting the two opposing emotions into a campaign designed to disarm some of the controversies through the use of humour and thought-provoking content. The children were dressed in black suits, sporting mirrored sunglasses to create authority figures, ready to lecture the adults for not using the green bin.