This is a press release we have issued today at the start of Recycle Week. Please get in touch with Monique if you have storage/sorting space for our growing waste.
POOLE RECYCLING CHARITY OVERWHELMED BY DEMAND AS DONATED HOUSEHOLD WASTE ITEMS DOUBLE
Ideas2Action is appealing to local businesses for storage space to allow it to upscale operations
A recycling charity based in Poole is asking the local business community for storage space, as it struggles to continue its mission to divert ‘hard to recycle’ household items from landfill.
Established in 2013, Ideas2Action’s chief aim is to reduce the amount of household waste that Dorset sends to landfill/recycling facilities through its community recycling projects and instead see not-for-profit organisations benefit from them.
Every month, 57 dedicated volunteers collect ‘hard to recycle’ waste items at 16 community locations and either recycle them with global recycling company, TerraCycle, or donate them to local charities and not-for-profit organisations. Each month, the charity donates items to at least 12 organisations, helping them to fundraise or use the items in their service delivery.
The Win on Waste® sessions collect many items that the local council is currently unable to recycle. These include: crisp and snack packets, biscuit and cake wrappers, Pringle tubes, used ballpoint pens, used toothbrushes, and facial wipe packets.
The amount of waste items collected at these sessions has doubled in the last year. An average of 1,500 people now contribute their waste items at these sessions and volunteers carefully sort an average of 650 carrier bags of waste by hand each month.
The charity calculates that based on an average of 3kg per carrier bag, Ideas2Action will enable Dorset to divert approximately 234 tonnes of waste from landfill in 2019.
After the Win on Waste® sessions, volunteers load waste items into their cars and store them at their homes until they can be collected or dropped off to relevant recipients. Ideas2Action is appealing for 300sqm of space – large enough to store 500 carrier bags and for up to three volunteers to sort through donations in Poole. The space would ideally have a parking space and be accessible by public transport.
Co-Founder and Business Manager, Monique Munroe, explains: “We are incredibly proud of the amazing efforts of our Win on Waste ® volunteers who give us around 400 hours of their time each month organising and helping to sort at the sessions. We are also very grateful for the donations we receive from residents in Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and the wider Dorset area.
“However, we are reaching breaking point. Our challenge is simple: we need to scale up our operation as demand for our service is increasing. People are recognising the tangible effects of climate change, and the negative impact that we are having on the environment through the things we throw away and attending and donating at a Win on Waste® session is something everyone can do to help.”
“Due to this increase in demand, we need space to store and sort the items that we collect. We are appealing to local businesses in Poole who might have some space that would be available for us to use for this purpose. This space would allow us to expand our recycling services in the community and divert even more waste away from landfill.”
“We are all passionate about the beautiful area in which we live and keen to preserve it for many generations to come. Tackling the waste that we are producing and our attitude to the things that we throw away, is key to this.”
If you have space that Ideas2Action could use, please contact Monique on 07771 705662 or contact@ideas2action.org.uk as soon as possible.
Win on Waste Wishlist
Ideas2Action are also asking for the following items that will help them to sort and re-distribute waste items:
- Collapsible boxes
- Large storage boxes with lids
- Printer labels
- Large bin liners
- Dustbin sacks
- Market pens
- Copier paper
- Wide clear Sellotape
- Sticky brown parcel tape