#weRpollards
Working together to improve recycling and waste disposal on Pollards Hill Estate
Pollards Hill Estate is a large housing estate situated in the east of the borough of Merton and managed by Moat Housing. Over the last few years the estate has faced a number of challenges in maintaining a successful waste management process, this has resulted in low recycling rates as well as high contamination levels.
Having listened to residents' views on recycling and waste disposal on the estate, including their concerns about overflowing bins and regular occurrences of fly-tipping, Moat has partnered with Sustainable Merton to bring to the community a 12-month recycling and behaviour change campaign, generously funded by Moat Foundation and Pollards Hill Community Committee.
As part of the project, volunteer Waste Champions are being recruited to act as ambassadors for better recycling and behaviours around waste on the estate. There has been a fantastic response with residents coming together for a common cause and they are helping shape the recently named #weRpollards campaign.
The campaign will see brand new bin wrappings, an education campaign and events days such as a 'Spring Clean' litter pick and 'Reuse and Repair Day’ and aims to relaunch and reset the whole attitude around waste on the estate whilst fostering a greater sense of pride in the local community.
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Creating positive change
The campaign aims to reduce waste through reducing environmentally wasteful consumption and increasing reuse and repair of items which would otherwise go to waste. It also aims to increase recycling, tackle fly-tipping, and foster a greater sense of pride in the local environment.
Reducing waste locally is good for the planet and contributes to Merton's wider Climate Action Plan, as wasting less = reduced demand for raw materials = fewer carbon emissions. Further, improving recycling rates, including food waste recycling, reduces the amount of waste being incinerated, which is emission intensive.
Sustainable Merton will work with Moat and other local partners such as the local community centre, schools and churches, to educate the local community on more environmentally friendly waste disposal and organise action days that will bring people together and raise awareness of the issue.
We are recruiting Waste Champions!
We are looking for volunteer Waste Champions who reside in the estate to engage, educate and organise with their neighbours on this issue. During the initial phase of the project, we are looking for Champions who live in or near Caernarvon, Glamorgan, Montgomery and Radnor Close.
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Our Waste Champions will work together to encourage positive behaviour change around recycling habits and waste disposal, strengthen community connections and bring people together through a shared sense of pride in where they live.
Education will focus on reducing, reusing and recycling, to decrease waste, recycling contamination and fly-tipping. There will also be fun, community-organised engagement events, as well as training workshops, to enable action.
As a Waste Champion, you will be offered training and free trips to local National Trust sites with friends and family and will work with your neighbours, Moat and Sustainable Merton to:
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Meet with neighbours to understand the challenges with waste disposal
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Help design a campaign to change waste disposal behaviour
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Knock on doors in teams to educate neighbours on better waste disposal behaviours
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Organise fun engagement days and competitions within your blocks, e.g. trips to nature, litter picking, creating art out of litter
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Time commitment: We are asking Champions for an average of 4 hours per month, including evenings and weekends. But this will vary per month.
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Join our team!
If you are interested in being a Waste Champion, please complete our short sign-up form HERE.
For further information about this volunteering opportunity or the campaign, including how you can support us, please send an email to volunteer@sustainablemerton.org or call us on 020 3417 0476.
This project is generously supported by
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Sustainable Merton has partnered with social enterprise Library of Things and Merton Council to bring you Morden Library of Things - the first of its kind in Merton! You can now pop into Morden Library to borrow useful household items like drills, carpet cleaners and gazebos from just £1 per day
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