Central Bedfordshire Council Waste Reduction
In a world where we can see the devastating effects of waste piling high in landfill, it is now more important than ever that we reduce, reuse and recycle our household waste. We spoke with Central Bedfordshire Council who have recently started a new Waste Reduction program aimed at helping residents to bin better.
Take action within your community to increase recycling, reduce waste and improve the local environment. Join Central Bedfordshire Council’s waste reduction volunteer team.
Central Bedfordshire currently recycles 46% of total household waste. By 2025, we want this to rise to 55%, and 60% by 2030. But while many of our residents recycle, 78% are placing items that could have been recycled in their black bin. 41% are also contaminating their recycling bin with non-recyclable items. All in all, this means less is being recycled. And there is still more we could be doing to reduce waste in the first place.
To increase our recycling rate and reduce the amount of waste thrown away by households, we need the help and support of all residents. The Waste Reduction Volunteers are central to this mission. They are a group of enthusiastic residents living across Central Bedfordshire that support their local community to recycle better and waste less. They do this by providing trusted information, knowledge, and skills to support households to 'bin better'.
Being a waste reduction volunteer is all about encouraging neighbours, friends, family and colleagues to reduce, reuse and recycle. It’s a great way to meet new people, make a positive difference in your community, and learn new skills.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Our volunteers cover a wide range of activities including, but not limited to
- attending community events such as fairs or markets
- delivering talks and workshops to local community groups
- running workshops and talks in local schools
- sharing tips and advice on social media
- being a waste champion in their own community
Our volunteers cover a wide range of waste-related themes. We talk to residents about how to cut out single-use plastics, improve their recycling, be savvy with food leftovers, and even how to start home composting.
The activities volunteers undertake vary; from 45-minute talks to half-day market stalls. They can take place during the day, in the evenings, or at weekends. So, there is an opportunity for everyone to take part where they can.
Since launching in November 2022, our volunteers have already made a big impact in their local communities:
- helped community organisations, such as Women’s Institute groups and Rotary clubs, to start thinking about waste reduction and improve their recycling
- engaged with other residents to identify local service issues which have been fed back to the Council’s recycling team
- provided feedback on the Council’s waste and recycling website pages
One waste reduction volunteer from Dunstable, Debbie Wilkins, explains why she joined the project: “I have lived and worked in Bedfordshire for over 40-years, and I have owned a house for that time. My views count, my misunderstanding counts.
Debbie recognised the significance of recycling and wasting less and felt the need to do something about it: “I see waste reduction as part of the jigsaw of climate change. I believe if we can all do something to help then collectively that will lead to bigger changes.”
“By being a waste reduction volunteer, I feel I am doing something positive towards reducing waste and helping people understand how to recycle more effectively.” Debbie said: “I also enjoy being part of a group of likeminded people, to share ideas, to learn, and to have a laugh.”
We are looking for more enthusiastic volunteers to join our wonderful team, to inspire their communities to waste less and recycle more.
No prior knowledge of waste and recycling is required to become a waste reduction volunteer. All information is provided in a training session. There are no time commitments for this role, we just ask that you take part in any way that you can, in the time that you have available.
If you are over 18 and want to make a positive difference in your community, join our waste reduction volunteer network. Visit our website to register your interest: www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/wrv. If you have any questions and would like a chat with our Volunteer Development Officer, please contact env.services@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Think you know a group who might be interested in learning more about waste and recycling? Please contact env.services@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk if you would like our volunteers to deliver a talk to your group.
Take a look at the Waste Reduction role on our Simply Connect system.
