• by Aaron Baar , April 19, 2016

Everyone knows to recycle their soda cans, milk containers and soup cans, but there are plenty of other product containers in the house that can find a new life somewhere else. 

In a bid to get more American consumers to think about recycling their bathroom product bottles, Unilever is reprising its “Rinse.Recycle.Reimagine” campaign with an eye toward the bathroom. 

“Last year, we focused on the magic of the recycling bin and highlighting why consumers should recycle by showcasing the beautiful things that recycled items could become,” Lauren Harper, director of sustainable living and Unilever brand, tells Marketing Daily. “This year, we’re inspiring consumers to end bottle bias and treat their bathroom bottles just like their kitchen bottles when it comes to recycling.”

According to Harper, only 14% of Americans recycle their bathroom bottles, compared with more than half who recycle kitchen items. The new, socially driven campaign gives voice to the neglected product, putting picket signs in their hands to demand recycling equality. 

“Our Unilever bottles will lend their voice to educate consumers on why all bottles need to be recycled and the importance of treating bathroom empties just like items used in the kitchen,” Harper says. “Recycling is an issue that affects us all, and using social media as our main platform allows us to make sure our message is consistently engaging and reaches the maximum amount of people.” 

Unilever will also employ the hashtag “#RethinkRecycling” to raise awareness of the effort on social media. The company is also asking consumers to vote for which products they’d like to see made from the recycled plastics, such as coats, school supplies and playground equipment (created in partnership with Keep America Beautiful). 

“We’re communicating our message to consumers by tapping into the themes and tensions of the election year where Americans can address the issues that are most important to them,” Harper says. “We believe that small steps consumers take each day (like recycling) can add up to make a larger impact and help create a brighter future for all.”