In the hope that erecting a 30-foot-tall recycling bin in Times Square would attract attention, Honest Tea launched its national campaign in New York on Monday. Dubbed the "Great Recycle," the organic bottled-tea brand's initiative encourages consumers to recycle their plastic, aluminum, and glass trash in exchange for points that can be redeemed for rewards.
Planned by the beverage company's vice president of marketing, Peter Kaye, with help from event management firm Promotions-USA, the daylong event invited the public to chuck empty bottles and cans into the giant inflatable receptacle. Miami-based Alison Group constructed the so-called "Great Bin," using recycled and recyclable materials so that the container could be repurposed once the campaign ends; Honest Tea is planning to take the event to other cities in the coming months.
Partners GrowNYC, Recyclebank, Coca-Cola, Global Inheritance, and Five-Boro Green Services added more on-site activities to the promotion, with a station from Global Inheritance offering prizes like bags, skateboards, and gift certificates and an urban garden from GrowNYC. The bottles from Monday's event will be turned into plastic lumber, which GrowNYC will use to build gardens in local public schools as part of its "Grow to Learn" program.
On the marketing front, Honest Tea hired professional sign flippers to draw passersby, set up a small stage with a microphone allow participants to voice their pledge to recycle, and created a social media campaign where consumers could earn points by recycling past Facebook posts. Nasdaq allowed the brand's president and "Tea E.O.," Seth Goldman, to ring the opening bell and utilize its billboard in Times Square for the day. Goldman, who was on-site during the 10-hour event, said Honest Tea sells about 45,000 bottles in New York event day and only one of five are recycled.
Monday's promotion collected more than 15,000 containers. "All it takes is a little effort," said Kaye.
