TfL Newspaper Recycle Bins Project Press Pack

Transcription

1 MODULE: Public Relations and the Media; Name: Liyi LIANG TfL Newspaper Recycle Bins Project Press Pack PRESS RELEASE 1 BACKGROUND 2 BLOG POST 3 TWITTER FEED 4 CASE STUDY 5

2 Newspaper recycle bins to be installed for tidier trains 6 th November, 2012 The installation of newspaper recycle bins in tube carriages will start on 8 th November, said Transport of London (TfL). This project aims for cleaner, safer and greener trains, encouraging Londoners to recycle papers instead of leaving them on floor or seats. The project will approximately cost 400,000, including bins purchase and installing fee. Over 2,000 bins are expected to be placed on trains within two months, and some could be used immediately after installation. Each carriage will have 8 collection bins hanging near doors or under widows; every bin is able to contain 4 pieces of newspaper. So there is enough space to fill papers. It s easy for passengers to share papers while taking tube journey. It is a fact that litter could afflict tube operation. Statistics show that 102 newspapers left by passengers were be blown to tracks or stuck on doors, which caused to services being delayed in And cleaning teams have to spend 21% more time to clean up trains and deal with newspapers; more engineers and signallers are needed to address emergent problems caused by papers. We believe these little containers would bring convenience to passengers who finish reading and guide them how to dispose of papers. Andie Harper, Tube Line Chief Executive Officer said, Moreover, it could minimise suspended service and potential accidents. Mike Brown, Managing Director London Underground, also states that: We have an army of cleaners patrolling various trains regularly to collect litter. But it s still hard to keep trains tidy without mutual effort from publics. Millions of Metro newspaper is delivered to passengers weekly and over 200 items are cleaned up on trains every day. Recent research refers that 68% commuters do not regard newspaper as trash and leave them on floor or seats for others. However, those free tabloids lying everywhere mess trains and could ruin a pleasant tube journey. Peter Beckham, Communications Director of Metro Newspaper said: We think the idea of recycling newspaper on trains is very impressive. It is environment-friendly and maximises the use of newspaper because people could share them after reading. Metro is willing to support any green behaviour, like this project. We are going to make a billboard displaying this notice on pages. TfL conducted a survey to a sample of 500 foreign travellers in terms of customer satisfaction during Olympic Games. Result shows that 70% of them feel surprised when seeing numbers of newspaper left on seats or floor; and three quarters think it does matter the image and reputation of London transport. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London said: We have heard a lot from tube passengers who call for tidier trains. It s a slight change but those sparkling recycle bins make sense- creating a happier journey to work and giving great first impression of London to travellers. For more information, please visit: becauseiamagirl.org ENDS Plan UK Press Office Liyi Liang Telephone (for media enquiries only): / liyiliang@plan.ac.uk PRESS RELEASE

3 Background: Project details: The total budget would be 400,000, including over 2,000 bins purchase and installing fee. The installation work will be under way after stations closed, so there is no interruption of tube services during this project. All bins in public are subjects in strict security controls. So, for terrorist concern, those newspaper collection bins will be designed to clear green plastic containers. The places that they are installed are considered safely and conveniently. Statistics that litter afflicts tube services: In 2011, there were in total 322 litter that stuck on train doors or fell into tracks which resulted in services delayed. Among those items, almost a quarter (102) items were newspaper; the others included 60 drinks bottles, 48 fast food packs and 12 other rubbish items. Statistics about newspaper cleaned up on trains: With an increasing amount of people taking underground, the number of newspaper found on trains has been also rising significantly. Last year, cleaning team collected 157 items per day. However, by November 200 pieces of newspaper are found on tube carriages every day. Statistics shows that there is a climbing trend of this issue if no action to deal with it. Every year London Underground has to increase 0.9 million budget to address problems caused by newspaper and other trash on stations. Those costs include hiring 40 more station cleaners to dispose of trash, ensuring trains tidy; 28 more engineers and signallers to deal with emergent problems like newspaper falling to tracks which leads to signal failures. Customer satisfaction survey to overseas travellers in Olympics 2012: There were 500,000 overseas tourists in London during Olympic Games (between July 17 and August 18), and London Underground conducted a customer satisfaction survey specific to foreign travellers. 500 interviewees were chosen carefully to represent whole tourists. Statistics have shown that 10% of them are satisfied with tube network very much; 21% feel that tube services is good ; 42% regard it as fairly good ; 25% and 2% think services are adequate and poor respectively. Surprisingly, being asked what the most impressive thing is while travelling tube, 70% of those say that it must be newspaper lying on floor or seats everywhere on trains. 370 people consider that papers surrounding carriages make them feel untidy and unpleasant. Number of complaints from passengers: Customer service team of TfL have received nearly 250 pieces of complaints that newspaper messes trains in this year. Most people are calling for solution to control sanitary condition of trains. Expectation of the project: Those newspaper recycle bins benefit majority. Firstly, newspaper would be put in right place instead of floor or seats, which ensures tidier train. Secondly, millions of passengers enable to enjoy a pleasant journey to work without services being disrupted. Thirdly, potential accidents could be decreased and repair cost can therefore decline. Last but not least, the reputation of London transport services and first impression to London travellers can significantly improve.

4 Blogger: Annie Mole's, webmaster of Going Underground About the blog: This is a real existing site that Annie writes daily blog about any news, stories, campaigns and even announcements about London Underground, TfL. And most of blog posts are positive and supporting Transport of London. Her site has wined numerous awards and has been introduced by different publishers like the Times, Guardian and Metro. So she has widespread followers - thousands of people. Since that TfL dosen t have official blog site, I believe cooperating with annie s site, the news of project could positively spread to numbers of Londoners. Blog post below is using Annie s tone to write a copy) Blog URL: Blog post: Newspaper recycle bins on trains? Such a great idea! Today I scan TfL s website to read some news about London Underground as usual and one of the headlines sparkle my eyes: Newspaper recycle bins to be installed for tidier trains. Oh, what a brilliant idea it is! I have been sick of being surrounded by newspapers lying on floors and seats for a long time. Every morning, commuters pick up Metro on stations, reading on trains but leaving them on trains too! I wonder why they don t throw it to litter bins or take it home. TfL says that 68% passengers don t see it as trash and want to share it to others. But actually I often see somebody steps on newspaper (forgive him because it s too congested to care about a piece of newspaper lying on floor on peaking time). And I don t think other passengers would be delighted to pick up such dirty paper to read. So most of time, those messy newspaper would just disturb a happy tube journey. The news also mentions that 102 newspapers left by passengers were be blown to tracks or stuck on doors, which caused to services being delayed in And cleaning teams have to spend 21% more time to clean up trains and deal with newspapers; more engineers and signallers are needed to address emergent problems caused by papers. The installation of recycle bins will be begun on 8 th November (just two days later! ) and all 2,000 bins are expected to be placed on tube carriages in two months. Some of those containers could be used at once after setting. I m so looking forward to seeing this tiny green bins which give me tidier tube and happy daily journey. Find out more on:

5 Twitter feed: 2,000 newspaper recycle bins are being installed on trains on 8th. Take a pic & twitter it when you find those bins! tfl.gov.uk/newspaperbins 2,000 newspaper recycle bins are being installed on trains on 8th. Take a pic & twitter it when you find those bins! tfl.gov.uk/newspaperbins

6 Case study: How other city deals with free newspaper on tube Guangzhou recycles more than 90% newspaper on underground Background: Guangzhou, the third biggest cities in China, has eight tube lines by now. Every day there are nearly 5,000,000 people using underground network. Like London, the free newspapers called Metro Daily are delivery to commuters every morning; and the total printed amount is 1million per day. However, newspapers are hardly seen lying on the floor or seats on trains. What they do: Guangzhou Underground has an army of newspaper collectors standing on each station. The organisation hires the old or retired men to do this job: for one thing, to help they earn some extra money by recycling papers; for another, passengers feel sympathetic to them and are willing to keep newspapers to them when leaving tube stations. What they achieve: Statistics shows that more than 90% newspaper are collected and recycled on tube stations. Over 85% tube travellers are satisfied with the sanitary condition of underground majority passengers raise awareness that leaving newspaper on trains would destroy the tidy train What we learn: This is a great insight for TfL to think about how to dispose of newspaper on trains. Considered to London underground s situation that we have 287 tube stations, it is not realist and cost-effective that hires numbers of staff to collect newspapers. But this case is good example that something needs to be done to guide passengers behaviour and raise a positive and green awareness to recycle. Therefore we set up this project to install newspaper recycle bins on trains to inform passengers to put papers to the right place.