As probably all of you have already noticed, the ISWA logo has had a bit of a makeover. All brands require regular maintenance to keep them relevant and connected to changes in the organisation as well as reflect changes within the industry and the world beyond. Our new branding was conceived in a lengthy process of consultation with stakeholders, both internal and external, and of course our members. This process was expertly guided with the help of the ISWA board, and the communications team at the GS.
The new logo has maintained the concept of the daisy, as this is part of the core identity of our association and has been for the last 50 years. In this incarnation, the daisy has become more stylised and perhaps most notably the colours have changed. These changes reflect the journey that ISWA has been through in the last few years. The move to the Netherlands, the adoption of the new strategy, the subtle shift towards circularity and the ambition to grow in the international stage as the voice of the solid waste industry to name just a few highlights. They all pointed to the need for a refreshed image. An image conveying the desire to broaden our appeal to a greater variety of stakeholders, position ISWA as a leading authority on solid waste industry knowledge for our international partners, and inspire greater engagement in our growing global audience. We are convinced that the new image will enable us to do all that, and more.
Finally, we would like to take the opportunity to express our thanks to all those involved in this process. In particular, a vote of thanks to the members of the Board Subcommittee on Communications, and a special mention for the efforts of our departing Communications Manager, Ms Georgiana Olivier, for leading the charge.
ISWA’s Managing Director Message
On March 31st ISWA released its brand refreshment with a new logo and new website!
The International Solid Waste Association has gone through many changes in the last 50 years as it has adapted to an evolving industry and its growing role on the international stage.
The importance of sound waste management is increasing dramatically over time as it also contributes to major global themes like climate change and, more importantly, the central role sound resource management has within the transition to a circular economy.
For ISWA, the year 2020 was again very much a year of change. We celebrated our 50th anniversary, settled into our new offices in Rotterdam, started to refine our strategy with our newly elected Board and are working towards an added focus of the circular economy, to connect better with the earlier mentioned themes.
As we look to the future as an association, we are keenly aware of the need to revamp ISWA’s image to connect better with the latest trends in the industry, and broaden our appeal to a larger and diverse group of companies and institutions.
For that reason, and many others, we concluded that our corporate identity was no longer up to par. Recognising when this is the case may seem difficult, but in the life of an association moments arise that lend themselves very well to a change or even necessitate one.
The motivation behind a refreshment project is often a combination of several factors but the starting point is that our branding and website are critical for us. It is our identity, sets us apart from others and presents, hopefully, a memorable impression. This recognition increases our perceived value, provides insight, sets expectations, and makes our global reach-out easier.
It is, for ISWA, also the first step into the next 50 years where we want to reach out more, broadening our audience and growing our relevancy for our members and the international community. The re-invigorated brand will help position ISWA as a leading voice in the waste management arena. Meanwhile, the new modern website will allow us to create a better experience for both our members and stakeholders.
As many factors influence a change in the look and feel of an organization or association, you may have noticed our logo has shifted from green to blue. The green is still an integral part of our branding and you will see it across our website and content, but we made the strategic decision to switch to blue.
The blue colour is interpreted as a sign of trust representing many international organisations, such as the UN. Although green is used a lot amongst environmental organisations and ISWA is dedicated to the environment, we do so much more and so do our members!
You will notice that besides blue and green we have also maintained yellow in our colour palette to symbolise with our joint journey towards healthier oceans, skies and soil.
There is also the added bonus that blue works better in contrast with other colours and is easier to identify on screens in particular and is more inclusive for those with disabilities as it is easier for those with colour blindness to see.
We truly hope you love the modernised ISWA look and feel, which will allow companies and members to better showcase themselves as well as enabling our network to access our services more smoothly.
This has been a very comprehensive process and on behalf of our President Carlos Silva Filho we would like to express our gratitude to the ISWA General Secretariat the designer who carefully coordinated the whole project and delivered an excellent job. We would also like to thank the board, the subcommittee on communications and all our members who volunteered and contributed to make it happen.
We are ready for the upcoming 50 years! Are you? Join the family,
Kindest regards,
Marc Tijhuis
