Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council is promoting recycling initiatives and bulky waste collections via messaging on its RCVs

Thanks to Spedian vehicle graphics panels the entire fleet of 16 refuse trucks is being turned into a cost-effective public information channel.

A variety of different messages are getting a boost by being displayed on the sides of refuse vehicles going about their collection rounds.

One highlights what can and cannot go in a brown wheelie bin.

Grass cuttings, leaves, weeds and branches are acceptable – while plastic bags, plant pots, soil and animal waste are not. Vivid images drive home the point.

Another advertises the council"s service "From Beds to Sheds" which residents can use to dispose of large items such as sofas, beds, televisions and washing machines.

The brand-new vehicles – complete with Spedian panels – went into service in September this year. Specialist Fleet Services (SFS) provided the vehicles to the council as part of a seven-year contract hire agreement.

Lawrence Craig, CEO and founder of Spedian, said: "Messages on the sides of refuse collection vehicles go past every property where refuse is collected so they have a good reach.

"Councils up and down the country are now taking advantage of the power of this channel of communication to drive their messages home and, in some cases, to advertise their own or third parties" services"

Spedian panels are suitable for leased fleets as they can be removed without damaging the vehicle or leaving any sticky residue behind. They are quick to install or remove, making it easy to switch campaigns or run seasonal campaigns.

Darren Moore, Waste and Business Development Manager for Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council said: "We find that running campaigns on our refuse collection vehicles does bring issues to people"s attention because the vehicles are highly visible and travel widely.

"We are running campaigns about recycling because people do get confused about what can and what cannot go into each wheelie bin and the quality of recycling will be better if everyone gets it right.

"We are also promoting our bulky waste collection because we want to encourage people to use our service and discourage fly-tipping"