Recycling options for types of waste materials

There are a number of techniques your recycling business could use to reach potential new customers.

How to promote recycling services

Marketing options for recycling include:

• Online marketing via a dedicated website or search engines ads. A well-designed website can be a relatively low-cost way of attracting new customers, but you will need to make sure it can be found by search engines.
• Social media promotion through various popular platforms is a great way to reach customers and build a following of regular customers and potential leads. Most social media platforms include options for paid advertising.
• Mailshots by post or email. If you use bought business mailing lists, it is important to ensure that these are as up to date as possible with valid contact details for key decision-makers.
• Advertising in the press, radio, billboards and even television. While useful in terms of raising awareness of your services, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) trials have shown this to be less cost-effective than other marketing techniques.
• Public relations and press releases. As with advertising, this may help increase awareness of your business but may not lead to many new enquiries.
• Collection vehicle branding to promote your business' services. This is relatively cheap and is important in presenting a professional image to current and potential customers.

A marketing campaign will be much more effective if you follow it up quickly with a sales campaign to persuade potential new customers to sign up. There are two options for this:

• telesales, which can be effective with a strong and experienced sales team in place
• face-to-face sales, which may be more appropriate where the sales team is inexperienced or if you are selling a particularly new or innovative service

You should be prepared to chase potential customers and close the sale. You should take care when to contact organisations, avoiding busy times.