Severn Trent Water - Grease Lightening

At the heart of the campaign CSV offered a doorstep collection of waste domestic FOG to 15,000 properties in a sewer flooding hotspot in the south east of Birmingham.  They provided containers to households to store used oil and fat and collect filled containers on a fortnightly basis.  The collected oil was then used to fuel the collection vehicle and waste fats were incinerated to generate electricity.  These wastes were therefore diverted from landfill and sewers. 

To promote and reinforce the scheme, Severn Trent developed a campaign to educate their customers to the detrimental effects of pouring fats, oils and greases down the sink. Leaflets were produced and distributed in English and Urdu, reflecting the diverse customer base and languages spoken in this area.  Using CSV’s local knowledge and contacts, messages were also spread through trusted communication routes. These included local press, community papers, supermarkets, community and religious groups and schools.
 
The campaign has shown significantly positive results. There has been a significant reduction in sewer flooding incidents in the area and also a positive change in customer behaviour.