Waste Prevention Seminar

The view from The Tolbooth, Stirling.

The panel.

The delegates.

Presentation by Caroline Eccles, RoWAN.

6 December 2007, Tolbooth, Stirling

With the publication of the Waste Prevention Action Plan in February 2007 and associated targets, it is becoming more important than ever to be able to show tangible results and tonnage diversion from waste prevention.

With this objective in mind over 40 delegates gathered at the Tolbooth on Thursday 6 December for a Waste Prevention Seminar to gather information on best practice and to inform any future strategy and funding.

The event was designed for any organisation undertaking waste prevention activities, those who wish to initiate such activities and anyone with an interest in waste prevention.

The speakers included, Alex Warren, Education Co-ordinator at The Wise Group, Roz Browning, Waste Prevention Project Co-ordinator at Friends of the Earth Scotland, Daniel Prince and Ian Smith both Senior Project Managers at Changeworks, and Caroline Eccles, Project Manager at Ross-shire Waste Action Network. Each organisation had received funding through the INCREASE Programme to develop projects aimed at promoting waste minimisation.

The Wise Group

Alex Warren from The Wise Group gave an overview of ‘Getting Into Recycling’ an educational project which actively promotes waste minimisation action to local community groups, ranging from mother and toddler sessions to pensioner groups, through a serious of interactive workshops, presentations, events and exhibitions.

The key difference with this project from many others is that it works intensively in one local community at a time in order to achieve maximum impact with sessions tailored to the needs and interests of each target group. 

The project also measured the increase in recycling rate and surveyed the change in attitudes of householders before and after the project.

Roz Browning, Waste Prevention Project Co-ordinator at Friends of the Earth Scotland discussed the CREW Project a 12-month national waste prevention programme designed to educate and motivate the public launched in March 2007.

The project has recruited and empowered 34 community waste prevention champions by training volunteers keen to promote waste prevention in their local area by providing them with the tools, ideas and knowledge to encourage and motivate householders to reduce their waste.

Changeworks

Daniel Prince and Ian Smith both Senior Project Managers at Changeworks discussed The Waste Wise Armadale Project which aims to divert 190 tonnes of waste from landfill (1kg per household per week), increase understanding of delivering waste prevention through engagement and empower residents and volunteers through knowledge gain and opportunity.

The methodology of their programme is based on a proven community engagement strategy utilised successfully in the Stepchange Programme, which encouraged and facilitated sustainable transport.

Through doorstep conversations the programme delivered tailored advice on the doorstep based on householders’ motivations and core values as opposed to a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

The programme supported the community through a helpline and toolkit of waste prevention resources.

RoWAN

Ross-shire Waste Action Network has for the last 18 months developed the ‘Waste Free RCV Route’ project. Caroline Eccles the Project Manager explained how their waste prevention work focuses on 3000 households in Ross-shire, all on the same RCV route stretching from Alness to Ullapool.

Using on-board weighing technology ROWAN is able to monitor the success of its waste prevention initiatives.

The seminar concluded with delegate discussing the opportunities and barriers of future waste prevention activities.

Approved by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, this conference provided half day towards the Institution’s Graduate Structured Education & Training Programme,
or
3 hours of Continuing Professional Development.

Summary of questions and answer session

Presentations

The Wise Group: Empowering communities in Glasgow

Friends of the Earth Scotland: CREW Project

Changeworks: The Waste Wise Armadale Project

Ross-shire Waste Action Network: Waste Free RCV