Recycling Lives Case Study

How Rocking Horse helped a transforming recycling company communicate their social value

”I wanted to do an official THANK YOU mail to you all for so much hard work and the fantastic film as a result. I love the voices and how they work together, it's been a real hit internally.

A HUGE thank you - you've been the most fantastic team to work with!”

About Recycling Lives

Recycling Lives provide total waste management solutions for a broad range of commercial wastes. However, the company also comprises both a charity and social enterprise. Founded in 2008, with an aim of reducing homelessness and reoffending by supporting men and women into stable housing and employment, Recycling Lives later added food redistribution to their model, tackling food poverty.

The Requirement

Recycling Lives have become one of the major players in the recycling world. They were most widely known for their work with charities and social focus – giving support, training and opportunities to people affected by long-term unemployment, addiction and the justice system. They needed a brand film that would bring their diverse story to life with only four weeks to complete concepting, scripting and production on this project.

Rocking Horse Pictures' cinematic shot: Recycling Lives branded safety vest, emphasizing 'partnerships that change lives'. Blurred workers showcase B2B video production expertise, highlighting social impact and ESG focus in waste management.

The Solution

In order to convey this messaging in a grounded, matter-of-fact tone that would represent their working culture, we incorporated elements of both documentary and narrative filmmaking. Showing a day in the life of their site in Preston, we used voiceovers from three people to create a depiction that was authentic, diverse and cinematic while representing each of the three pillars: innovation, social value and commerciality.

Impact and Benefits

The film has been successful in helping Recycling Lives position themselves as a fully embedded and authentic ESG business, distinguished from the social enterprise they had previously been known as. Ultimately, the film had to appeal to Recycling Lives’ employees and internal stakeholders as much as it did to external audiences. In bringing the key pillars of Recycling Lives’ brand messaging to life – in detail and with coherency – the film allowed them to engage with and celebrate the people who work for them. As such, the film has become a key internal stakeholder tool, creating strong advocacy at all levels and helping to re-invigorate employee enthusiasm.

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