Exploring community waste management

Voluntary and community groups are increasingly taking the lead on reducing, reusing, recyling and composting waste.

Emerge is a social enterprise in Manchester that runs waste management services and campaigns. Photo by EMERGE Recycling.

These groups include community recycling companies, furniture reuse projects, paint redistribution schemes, computer refurbishment projects and community composting groups. Good examples include:

• East London Community Recycling Partnership
  A community-led kitchen and green waste composting project.
• Community Composting Network
  Supporting and promoting the community management and use of waste bio-degradable resources.

Many organisations deliver recycling services to local authorities as part of a contract. They help these authorities meet their household waste recycling and composting targets and provide community benefits, such as permanent and voluntary employment.

Community waste management groups help fulfil the sustainable development agenda by providing multiple benefits:

• Economic - retaining and investing their income and profits in the local economy
• Social - providing work, training opportunities, affordable goods, services and infrastructure improvements
• Environmental - reducing CO2 emissions and local pollution caused by long-distance waste management.

Priority: plan for sustainable waste management
Tags: waste, neighbourhoods