​​This research aims to create content for educational purposes on recycling the right way of recycling. This will be shown thought-provoking illustrations, 3D renders and a social media gallery/campaign that creates attention by showing the wrong way to recycle, in a humorous sense. Aspects of both recycling methods and scenarios in Australia and South Korea will be shown and explored to blend the practices, fostering a more plurversal design approach. 

The GenAI programs that will be used consist of MidJourney to create imagery based on scenarios that are backed up by real-world events and the concept creation of characters that will support the storytelling narrative. ChatGPT will create prompts, and help with the positioning of the campaign and Pika will provide animated GIFs. The exhibit will showcase a diverse range of mediums to engage viewers. Poster illustrations will be displayed on the wall. Stickers, both small (on sheets to hand out) and large ones on a display recycling bin. 

Models of characters, crafted from recycled products, will add a tactile element, encouraging interaction. The Digital gallery's social media campaign on Instagram will extend the exhibit's reach, offering a virtual experience for online audiences. Digital 3D renders, animations, and GIFs will complement the physical displays, enhancing the overall immersive experience.

The Metro Trains organisation was dealing with frequent incidents and injuries around stations and crossings in 2012. To raise awareness about the risks around trains, the younger generation became the primary focus. To make the message stick, young public transport users have to be engaged in a meaningful way. Traditional safety campaigns have been simple and informative, meant to be digested immediately by the viewer. However, Metro needed a campaign that would encourage interaction and response. McCann, a Melbourne agency, developed the campaign, Dumb Ways to Die.

The "Dumb Ways to Die" Metro Campaign, which has been successful in terms of reach and engagement, has raised concerns about its impact on behaviour change (Algie, 2019). By contrast, such campaigns often use serious and fear-based messages to promote rail safety. By emphasising prevention measures near station platforms and access points to the track (ScholarWorks, 2014), the campaign could enhance its effectiveness in preventing suicides on rail systems, a related issue. A similar campaign by the LTMRHL for stakeholder support of Hyderabad's Metro Rail project illustrates the importance of engaging stakeholders to address negativity and secure support (Kaul, 2018). In addition to enhancing transportation demand management (TDM) marketing effectiveness (Hetherington, 2004), the Internet can also enhance safety campaigns.

Method and message are equally important. Got the world's most important message? Great. But if you can't reach people, it doesn't matter. Identify your audience. Use the right medium and platform to reach them. Demographics consume media in a thousand different ways. Creativity, thinking out of the box. Try something new. Every successful campaign in history has something in common: creativity. As always, it’s the easiest thing to say, but the most difficult to follow. When you reach a new audience, it’s always going to take a risk on something that’ll make people pay attention just by being different.

Research on recycling and the challenges with managing soft plastics, as highlighted in The Guardian's report on RedCycle's collapse, underscores critical issues in Australia's waste management system. The collapse reveals systemic vulnerabilities in the recycling industry, particularly concerning the viability of processing soft plastics (Guardian, 2024). The article points to a lack of infrastructure and investment, as well as limited consumer education on proper recycling practices, as contributing factors to the crisis. Moreover, it highlights the need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts among stakeholders to address the environmental and economic impacts of plastic waste. This research underscores the urgency of implementing sustainable strategies and policies to improve recycling rates and reduce plastic pollution in Australia.

Recycling bins in Brisbane, as detailed in the (Courier Mail,2013) highlights two main findings. Firstly, it emphasises the prevalence of contamination in recycling bins, with non-recyclable items often being improperly disposed of. Secondly, the article underscores the importance of public awareness and education initiatives to improve recycling habits and reduce contamination rates in the community.

Research on Australian recycling, as highlighted by (Yahoo News, 2023), indicates a troubling rise in hazardous materials found in recycling bins, emphasising the urgent need for improved education and enforcement efforts.

Various recycling programs have been implemented in South Korea, including the Deposit Refund System and the Extended Producer Responsibility Program, to regulate producers and encourage recycling (Kim, 2015). As a result of declining prices for recyclable waste and China's refusal to import solid waste, the country faced a waste management crisis in 2018 (Ko, 2020). These issues have been addressed by proposing management strategies for plastic waste and metal resources, such as expanding labelling systems, reducing plastic consumption, and developing efficient recycling technologies (Hyungjin Choi, 2018; Cho, 2018). South Korea's recycling and waste management policies must be sustainable in order to achieve success.

With the implementation of a volume-based waste fee system in Korea, household solid waste decreased substantially and household recycling increased. Recycling and waste management behaviours were significantly influenced by environmental attitudes, along with certain demographic factors.

In conclusion, the successful "Dumb Ways to Die" Metro Campaign developed by McCann demonstrates that effective communication methods are imperative for delivering critical messages. It has been shown that creative approaches to safety campaigns, such as those employed by "Dumb Ways to Die," can engage audiences more effectively than serious and fear-based messages in traditional safety campaigns. Furthermore, the importance of targeting specific demographics and utilising appropriate mediums cannot be overstated, as demonstrated by the diverse approaches seen in recycling awareness campaigns across Australia and South Korea. Developing positive behaviour change and achieving environmental sustainability goals will require innovative strategies, collaborative efforts, and sustained public education to address the challenges facing recycling and waste management.