CRNS 3rd Annual Awards

Shortlisted Organisations

Member of the Year Shortlist

Furniture Plus Ltd

This organisation has continued to successfully grow, making a major impact on the environmental and social needs in Fife. Turnover from sales alone increased by 24.4% on the previous year, contributing to a total of over £250,000 for the year 2006-07. 502 tonnes of furniture, white goods, carpets and green waste were collected free of charge and over 80% of this reused or recycled to the benefit of families in need. Eleven containers were shipped internationally and the organisation became fully WEEE compliant as a registered DCF.

Seven new full-time jobs were created last year. All but one of the new employees came straight out of unemployment, and continue to be in post gaining new skills and earning regular wages. There were also 43 training placements fulfilled and 16 regular volunteer placements taken up by those in unemployment or suffering from social exclusion.

The organisation linked with local schools through The Determined to Succeed project, and is developing projects with young people in the area, as well as hosting study visits from community groups and other recycling organisations, national and international.

Winners of the Best Community Initiative 2007, this organisation changes the lives of those disaffected and dispossessed in our community.

Moray Recycling Action Group, The Green Home

In 2007 The Green Home diverted 616 tonnes of waste from landfill; an increase of 89% on the previous year. Self-generated turnover increased by 75% to become a 100% self-financing, social enterprise.

They have assisted over 2753 clients, an increase of 244%. This year saw training placements increase by 94% to 68. Staff has increased by 186% to 20 full-time positions; ten from New Deal trainees, culminating in winning Grampian Employer of the Year and nominated Exemplary Employer of the Year by Highlands and Islands.

2007 saw an increase in retail space and an expansion of the electrical and mechanical workshops. Strong partnerships forged with CEIM, The Moray Council, RAF bases, Moray College and private industry resulted in sharing information, resources and participating in over 50 events throughout 2007 with over 50 articles published. Robust use of press and media promoting reuse and recycling in the community.

The organisation collects all bulky, household furniture, electrical appliances, white goods, carpets, mattresses and sofas, toys, bikes, sports equipment, metal, batteries, timber and bric-a-brac for reuse and recycling from households, businesses and 3 of 4 civic amenity sites throughout Moray, which will increase to all 4 sites and include council bulky collections from April 2008.

Organisational aims to divert waste, create jobs and assist vulnerable people have been achieved.

Mull and Iona Community Trust, MESS Project

The Mull and Iona Community Trust MESS Project deserves wider recognition for contributing to quality of life and sustainability on the islands.  Successfully attracting significant investment, over 5 years, MESS has added value to grants, through constructive community engagement.  Thanks to committed staff and volunteers, popular Island Castaways retail outlets have developed alongside efficient bio-diesel fuelled recycling collections for textiles, plastics, and cans.         

MESS tonnage diversion is up 40% on last year, twice the SLA target figure.  Shops sold over 20 tonnes of donated goods, doubling takings, which also benefit other good causes. Nearly 85% of MESS income is now earned, mainly through contracts and sales, providing secure employment for 7 people.        

Beyond demonstrating increasingly effective recovery strategies, MESS also promotes waste prevention, resource efficiency, energy saving, social inclusion, green tourism, environmental justice and more, to protect and enhance island microcosms.           

Ongoing collaboration with individuals, households, schools, community groups, businesses, neighbourhoods, professionals, peers, networks, policy makers, specialists, academics, regulators, and other partners shapes continuing development of Mull Environmentally Sensitive Solutions.         

Future plans include more commercial contracts, accredited skills training, work placement opportunities in dedicated premises, and further exchanges with other enterprising community organisations, to help reduce waste towards zero.

Spruce Carpets

Last year, Spruce supported 60 volunteers to achieve positive outcomes, with 3 employed by local businesses. Spruce employs 11 staff and continues to invest in their development by consulting on development, creating opportunities for professional improvement and integration of new services (carpet fitting). Spruce secured a New Deal contract with Into Work Glasgow to provide full training placements, a first for a social enterprise as small as our own.

Spruce merged with our sister organisation in December 2006, diverting carpet tiles from landfill. Tonnages for this last year are approximately 70 tonnes, a growth of 20 tonnes from last year, reflecting weight at point of sale.

Income generation has increased by 15% from 45% to 60% due to our retail partners’ sales for carpets, tiles and fitting service. We now sell carpet tiles through our Ebay shop which markets across the UK and is bringing in business from far and wide. The fitting service was reintroduced in March and we now operate 2 fitting teams. Spruce recently secured a contract with Glasgow City Council through SWF for 2007/08 and 2008/09. Spruce is working in partnership with the Glasgow Furniture Initiative to supply packages, 3 successfully installed so far.

Our 5 retail partners still operate by selling carpets at locations across Glasgow and the Clyde Valley, 4 of whom are CRNS members. Spruce has carried out workshops at the CRNS More than Furniture event, “An Audience With” at the Senscot Ceilidh and replication consultancy work with community organisations from across the UK. As an active member of the Glasgow Community Recycling Forum, Spruce is working on a joint marketing strategy raising the profile of the sector in Glasgow.

Innovation Award Shortlist

Changeworks, Waste Wise Armadale Project

The Waste Wise Armadale Project is Changeworks working in partnership with West Lothian Council.

Innovative and ambitious, The Waste Wise Armadale Project engaged the entire community of Armadale, West Lothian in waste prevention!

The Project aimed to decrease the amount of waste produced in Armadale by 200 tonnes, or one blue whale, in a year, so that everyone can benefit from a better environment and a better future. Working with the community, the Project promoted existing initiatives such as real nappy and home composting schemes, as well as tackling new issues such as food waste to over 4,000 households.

Unique doorstep conversations with 1,331 householders encouraged action by connecting waste prevention to their interests (in the home and at the shops, in the garden, with the kids and in the community). A toolkit of engaging materials, including a dedicated key resource, supported these. 451 households made specific pledges and the overall amount of waste going into grey bins was reduced.

An independent evaluation by SISTech has shown that with doorstep conversations and promoting the waste prevention message across the community, the overall amount of household waste (waste arising) fell by 6.59%, all thanks to The Waste Wise Armadale Project.

Glasgow Furniture Initiative (GFI)

Glasgow Furniture Initiative (GFI), a registered company operating from Aug 2007, is an innovative city-wide partnership linking the 2 existing community furniture organisations (2nd Opportunities and Ruchill Furniture Project) to a centralised collection and distribution centre or Hub.

GFI diverts in volume to the Hub unwanted reusable domestic furniture and WEEE (especially white goods), currently landfilled. Following assessment, testing, repair and storage, specific items are re-distributed to the 2 partner organisations who consequently increase their retail delivery service locally whilst maintaining their low cost sales strategy.

The unique selling point of the GFI is the provision (within the Hub) of a one stop shop for Glasgow’s social welfare/housing agencies who, accompanied by their client, can secure the furnishings for a complete house via one phone call then one visit. GFI works with Starter Packs Glasgow and Spruce Carpets to deliver this wrap-around service.

Working in conjunction with Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Housing Association with support from CRNS, GFI’s aims in its first 12 months are to:

1. divert 1,000+ tonnes from landfill
   
2. provide 6,000 households with 24,000 re-used items
   
3. sustain 16 full-time jobs and create an additional 6

GFI intends to break even by March 2009.

Moray Reach Out, Community Environment Initiatives Moray (CEIM)

Community Environmental Initiatives Moray (CEIM) is an innovative partnership of five Moray recycling organisations sharing ideas, expertise and resources.

Utilising INCREASE funding together with financial contributions from each member, Isobell Tesch was appointed full time marketing officer focusing on business development, public relations and marketing activities. Partnership working and strong links were forged between CEIM, The Moray Council, SCARF, RAF bases, Schools, Colleges, Businesses, BEP, SEPA, Moray Chamber of Commerce as well as Moray’s householders. Over 50 events were organised. Hundreds of press clippings featuring CEIM have been produced via websites including The Green Diary, Waste Aware Scotland, Towards Zero, local radio, local press, Council Tenants Newsletters etc.

CEIM members recorded tonnage increases e.g. The Green Home increased tonnage by 89% with month on month customer base and income generation increased. A base-line survey taken in February 2007 and repeated in December confirmed achievements with figures including a 62% increase in awareness of member’s existence, and an outstanding 185% increase in having used their services.

The inaugural CEIM Green Business Recycling Awards 2007 was attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & the Environment. Over 30 businesses took Community Recycling into the limelight, placing it centre-stage in the daily lives of the people and businesses in Moray and contributing to Moray’s number two position for recycling in Scotland.

Shetland Amenity Trust, Enviroglass

With a need to find a market for a remote islands waste glass problem, Enviroglass have researched, developed, tested, patented and launched a wide range of paving slabs made with 80% recycled glass cullet.

The innovative and unique development by Enviroglass has enabled the social enterprise company to process and recycle as much waste glass as Shetland can produce, diverting more than 600t per annum of glass from Landfill.

Enviroglass market the products through their web site and by direct contact with architects and capital project providers. This has resulted in substantial orders being received from social housing developments, school refurbishments, office suites, museums, public buildings, private housing and open spaces throughout the UK including London, Manchester, Kent, Glastonbury, Glencoe, Glasgow, Derby and of course, Shetland. Discussions are ongoing with major capital providers throughout the UK including firms associated with new schools, hospitals, urban redevelopment projects and housing.

The major selling points to potential clients include: the environmental credentials of the Glasscast recycled glass pavers; the fact that the products comply with British Standards and that Enviroglass have registered the products with the Patent Office.

Enviroglass are also, as part of a focused 6 month marketing programme, taking their products to the Ecobuild Show in London early 2008, an indication that a recycled product is becoming mainstream in a traditionally eco-cautious sector of business - building and construction.

Local Authority Partnership Award Shortlist

Falkirk

Falkirk Council in conjunction with Action Recycle has not shied away from its responsibility to provide a recycling service to all tenants, regardless of where they live, and has managed to roll out a collection service to 90% of all multi-occupancy premises.

Multi-occupancy homes are notoriously difficult to service, as there are often limiting internal and external spaces issues, social issues and access difficulties. Working together has been beneficial as it has enabled a flexible system to be adopted which could take account of the space and access issues that are inherent problems when dealing with multi-occupant premises.

The pride of the bin crew and the determination for the project to succeed enhances the service provided and ensures that there is a resolve to solve problems rather than create them. Close communication and regular meetings ensured that everyone involved was aware of what was happening. When problems were identified both parties worked together to resolve them, and where things had to be done this was carried out sooner rather than later.

Falkirk is an example of a successful community recycling project.

Highland

Highland Council Waste Strategy Team have worked closely with the voluntary sector to consistently increase the percentage of waste being recycled/reused.

They have introduced a range of methods to allow ease of recycling. They attend all CRNS forums and are supportive of all organisations present. They talk to the sector and encourage innovation and diversity.

For the past 4 years the Highland Council has engaged community sector partners in the form of waste diversion contracts. These now cover 9 community recycling social enterprises in every part of Highland, with partners operating in Acharacle, Fort William, Uig, Bettyhill, Thurso, Golspie, Evanton, Alness and Inverness.

In 2007-08 this partnership will divert over 4,000 tonnes of municipal waste from landfill, which represents 10% of Highland Council's total recycling/reuse activity.

The Highland Council maintains excellent communication with the community sector, particularly via the quarterly Highland Forum meetings to which the Highland Council always contributes.

These waste diversion contracts have allowed the sector to grow, supporting over 100 full time jobs, over 120 training places and providing services to one in five households in Highland.

The success of this partnership has been due to mutual benefit and the forging of a sound business relationship, developed through several years of successfully working together.

Moray

For a local authority to go from third from the bottom of Scotland's recycling league to second from the top in 3 years is a remarkable achievement - to do it with Community Recycling organisations (CROs) integral to achieving and maintaining such outstanding results is exemplary. It not only puts Moray on the map for recycling but demonstrates beyond question that putting Community Recycling at the heart of local authority waste strategies delivers results with a sustainable ethos that prioritises benefits to local people alongside impressive economic and second to (n)one environmental outcomes!

Partnership working was championed from the outset in Eco-schools promotion, publicity events from Farmers' Markets to Environmental Festivals, radio, press coverage, website links and community recycling inclusion in Council promotions from the Eco-schools handbooks to household Waste Aware Guides. Joint funding bids succeeded with Council Contracts awarded to CROs. One organisation benefits from operating from a Civic Amenity (CA) site with the passing trade of the public and another from collection skips on CA sites.

The impact of future developments is anticipated through communication with individual management committees and CEIM (Community Environmental Initiatives Moray) - the network which the Waste Minimisation Officer was instrumental in facilitating to avoid duplication. Generous sponsorship for CEIM's inaugural Green Business Awards 2007 was provided and thousands of CEIM booklets distributed by the Council attaching them to wheelie bins along with the collection schedules.

Partnership working delivering for people and the planet.

For the help prided by Shona Dryburgh over the last few months in connection with SWF 150 and tonnages claims generally.