FreshDirect Boxes Carry Recycling Message
Online grocer FreshDirect is joining forces with Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and the Ad Council to feature messaging from the latter two organizations’ national “I Want to Be Recycled” public service advertising (PSA) campaign on all FreshDirect delivery boxes. The collaboration, revealed in advance of America Recycles Day (Nov. 15), is part of continuing efforts to generate awareness of the advantages of recycling and encourage the activity as a daily social norm.
Beginning this week and continuing year-round, FreshDirect cardboard delivery boxes with messaging from campaign go out across the greater New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware metro areas, as well as the greater Philadelphia region. The boxes feature the line, “I want to be a cereal box. Recycle Me,” and also direct customers to visit the campaign website, where they can use a localized search tool to find curbside locations or recycling centers in their communities and get more information on how and what to recycle.
“Research shows that people identify the simple act of recycling as their most visible contribution to a better environment,” said Brenda Pulley, SVP, recycling at Stamford, Conn.-based KAB. “Through our partnership with FreshDirect, we will increase our reach to encourage people to recycle more often.”
“FreshDirect’s delivery boxes are an ideal placement for our campaign messages, allowing us to encourage customers to imagine the future possibilities of the packaging, at the same moment they make the decision to recycle it,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “FreshDirect’s support will go a long way in continuing our efforts with Keep America Beautiful to create a more sustainable environment.”
First rolled out nationally in July 2013, “I Want to be Recycled” was developed by the creators of the landmark “Crying Indian” anti-littering campaign. Created pro bono by San Francisco-based ad agency Pereira & O’Dell, the campaign demonstrates how recyclable materials can become something new if someone chooses to recycle. TV, radio, outdoor and digital media PSAs are backed by a comprehensive public relations and social media program.
“Helping to reduce our carbon footprint and create awareness around recycling is extremely important to all of us at FreshDirect,” noted Jason Ackerman, CEO of the Long Island City, N.Y.-based e-grocer. “We have made a number of strides to be a sustainably minded company, and including the Keep America Beautiful recycling campaign on our boxes is one more step in the right direction.”
Among FreshDirect’s ongoing environmental efforts are packing orders in delivery boxes that are 100 percent recyclable and made with more than 85 percent post-consumer waste; offering customers $2 off delivery fees if they choose a “green” delivery time slot, leading to fewer truck delivery trips and a smaller environmental footprint; and a pledge to convert to a 100 percent green transportation fleet over the next five years.