Daisy talks to Dr Adam Read, External Affairs Director for SUEZ Recycling & Recovery UK, about how crucial it is that we talk about waste - and why it is hard to do. Along the way, this discussion touches on Roman waste-management practices, the huge changes in the sector over the past decade, the power of communicating through images, and the need for cross-industry co-operation.

And what does it all mean for you? Adam's main pieces of advice for communicators in unglamorous sectors are relevant for all of us: 

• Hang in there, don’t give up. Gaining recognition can take years – decades. 
• Demonstrate the value of your sector in really simple, earthy terms. Think about what it is that you do that makes you valuable, even if you’re out of sight, out of mind. If you stopped doing your job, what would they notice?
• How do you communicate that value? It's about real people, real lives, real opportunities, it's about small change. Engage your stakeholders, whether that is one-to-one or in focus groups, to understand what they really think and care about. That could be quite resource intensive but it pays off.
• In parallel, you need national campaigns. Cross-sector campaigns can play an important role in changing perceptions and allow space for individual firms to spend more time thinking about local interventions, including…
• Find champions. What's your ‘in’ in the sectors that you're thinking about? Who's your gatekeeper? Who's your champion? Who's your infiltrator? There are people out there that do get it and do want to do it, and you need to give them the information and support they need to help take the community on the journey.

You can find the all the data and analysis from the BRODIE Public First Sustainability Sentiment tracker here: http://www.publicfirst.co.uk/sustainability-sentiment-tracker.html

Find all of our episodes - and full transcripts for each one - at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1121639