Author: John Lally

A local charity theatre is celebrating a funding boost which they say will help cut waste and increase reuse and recycling.

Valley Community Theatre in Netherley, Liverpool, has been awarded £7977 to help deliver ‘Valley Vegheads’, a food growing and cookery skills project which it hopes will reduce food waste, increase composting and encourage food growing in the local community.

The money has come from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority & Veolia Community Fund 2023/24.

Martin Ball, Charity Director at Valley Community Theatre, said: “We are using the funding to bring in an extra pair of hands. This means that we have more resource to help create  a community kitchen garden at our premises on Childwall Valley Road, allowing us to run gardening activities and host community swap shops. Our recycling of waste products from the garden and cafe and our textiles ‘Swap Shop’ will serve as an education for all in reducing waste and will impact positively on the environment.”

The project launched in the summer and is hoping to cut waste by:

• Creating a community kitchen garden that supports and provides food for free school meals during the theatre’s Holiday Activities Food club.
• Hosting gardening activities, composting, growing vegetables and using harvested foods in the theatre’s café.
• Increasing the recycling of items from the theatre café (including aluminium cans, cardboard, plastics, paper, glass) which serves audiences attending performances throughout the year.
• Running six community ‘Swap Shop’ for clothes and textiles including unwanted school uniforms.

By the end of the project the theatre hopes they will have engaged with up to 4000 people and stopped over 16 tonnes of material from going to waste.

Martin Ball continued: “The vegetable growing part of the project will ensure more children, young people and wider community members have access to the fresh food we produce. Helping young people understand why we can’t grow bananas, or that potatoes grow underground, gives them a greater appreciation of where our food comes from and what’s involved in producing it.

“The nutrition and education part of the process will be incorporated into our Holiday Activities With Food programmes. All our participants and visitors will also benefit from the transformation of an otherwise overlooked outside space which will now offer a place to sit and appreciate the enhanced grounds, learn about the growing of different fruits and vegetables and serve as a place of discovery.”

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “Wasted food is a huge issue for society and for the environment. The numbers show that eight meals could be saved each week if we stopped binning our food at home. Projects like this one are crucial in delivering useful information to residents and helping make positive changes in behaviour. We’re looking forward to seeing how it develops.”

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A charity in Bootle has made it their mission to stop textiles from being thrown away – and has received a financial funding boost to help them in their efforts.

The Repurpose Project: Breathing New Life into Old Textiles is the creation of The Venus Charity, a Bootle-based community group who help to empower, promote and support women, young women and their children. The resource-rescuing project has been awarded £3500 from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund, which helps local groups to reduce waste and increase recycling and reuse.

Venus have run a pop-up shop in the Bootle Strand shopping centre to deliver upcycling textiles workshops within the shop space. More follow-on sessions have been delivered from The Venus Centre in Bootle.

Sue Potts, Chief Executive of Venus, said: “The Repurpose Project is aiming to prevent waste and increase the amount of materials available for reuse and recycling by upcycling old textiles. We’re hoping to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable practices, and to provide a creative and accessible way for members of our community to engage with these practices. By using these materials we can prevent them from going to waste and instead give them a new lease of life.”

Venus have been working with partner organisations to source materials which can then be creatively repurposed. The workshops – led by artist Emma Summerscales – are providing an anticipated 50 participants with the skills and knowledge they need to upcycle textiles, whilst preventing up to one tonne of materials from going to waste.

Venus have also developed an educational booklet that is being distributed to participants during the sessions, providing them with step-by-step instructions on how to upcycle and repair their textiles. Short educational presentations are being shown at each session which covers topics such as the environmental impact of textile waste, the benefits of upcycling, and the basics of textile repair. These presentations are interactive and designed to engage participants and encourage them to ask questions and share their own experiences.

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “According to research* around 5% of household bins locally contain textiles such as clothes and shoes, a lot of which could still be used. The Repurpose Project can help stop those items from being thrown away, can stop resources from going to waste, whilst also engaging with the local community and spread the message about sustainability in a practical way.”

Sue Potts continued: “We believe that by directly engaging with residents we can build a stronger relationship and foster a sense of community ownership and involvement in our project. This will not only benefit the success of our project and the environment, but also have a positive impact on the local community as a whole.”

A project celebration event was recently held at the Venus Centre (Thursday 30th November, 2023) which brought together organisers, participants and partners.

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Notes to editors:

• *Statistic from Merseyside and Halton Waste Composition Analysis 2021/22. https://www.zerowastelcr.com/liverpool-city-region-waste-composition-analysis-2021/
• Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.
• The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 has seen 13 community groups from Merseyside and Halton receive a funding boost to help make the region a cleaner and greener place. The financial support will see the groups help reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource re-use, and prevent carbon emissions. Funding total is £164,945.00

An environmental project in the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool has been helping to rescue and reuse unwanted clothes and textiles.

The Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. used funding from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund to run the Baltic Swap Shop project, with the aim of stopping clothes and textiles from going to waste.

The community-based initiative has been delivered by the C.I.C. to reduce waste, increase the availability of materials for reuse and recycling, and promote a sustainable and ethical approach to fashion consumption.

According to a recent analysis* around 5% of household bins locally contained textiles such as clothes and shoes, a lot of which could still be used. The same report showed that plastic items made up 11.9% of Merseyside and Halton’s kerbside residual (i.e. black bin bag) waste.

Alex Keyter, Project Lead at the Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C., said: “Textiles is one of the largest contributors to global waste and pollution, producing 92 million tonnes of waste each year and accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions. Fast fashion exacerbates this problem by promoting a culture of disposable clothing. We’re hoping we’ve helped address this issue by hosting Swap Shop Clothing Exchange events and engaging the diverse community of Liverpool in a fun, inclusive, and accessible way.

“The primary focus of the project has been to encourage people to consume less, reduce their environmental impact, and reuse materials that would otherwise be discarded. We hope we’ve helped to foster that sense of community and camaraderie in the Baltic Triangle area.”

The project has set out to collaborate with local businesses, schools and community organisations to raise awareness and encourage participation in the Swap Shop events. Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. hope these networks and resources will help raise awareness of the issues in waste within the community.

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “Our Community Fund projects are always full of inspirational ideas. Local organisations such as Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. can deliver zero waste and sustainability messages and ideas in a way that people can relate to in their own lives, which is a huge benefit to the local environment.”

Alex Keyter continued: “By promoting a more sustainable approach to fashion consumption we hope this project has helped contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable future for the Baltic Triangle area and encourages the community to adopt environmentally and sustainable responsible practices.

“Aside from the waste prevention element, the project has provided a platform for volunteers to gain valuable skills in event management and social media marketing. These skills can enhance their employability, contributing to the local economy by preparing them for future career opportunities.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Pictures attached show Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. clothes Swap Shop, 7^th October 2023, Liverpool

• *Statistic from Merseyside and Halton Waste Composition Analysis 2021/22

• Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral and also Halton. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents and operates (via a contract with resource management company Veolia) 16 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) for householders in the Merseyside and Halton area wishing to recycle and dispose of their own waste.

• The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 has seen 13 community groups from Merseyside and Halton receive a funding boost to help make the region a cleaner and greener place. The financial support will see the groups help reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource re-use, and prevent carbon emissions. Funding total is £164,945.00

Members of the media for more information please contact:

John Lally | Communications and Development Officer

Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority | 1 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP

Office: 0151 255 2568 | Email: john.lally@merseysidewda.gov.uk

Local Recycling Centres are set to switch to their shorter winter opening hours.

From Sunday 1st October the Centres will be open from 8.00am until 5.00pm* – changing from the summer hours of 8.00am to 8.00pm.

There are 16 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in the Liverpool City Region. They are operated by Veolia on behalf of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA).

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of MRWA, said: “We shorten the hours over the winter to coincide with the darker nights over the forthcoming months. The Recycling Centres accept a range of household materials for recycling, from batteries, cans and cardboard, through to garden clippings, glass bottles, wood, and white goods. They also accept lesser-known items such as food and drink cartons, clothes, hard plastics and electrical items.”

All 16 Recycling Centres across the region also have new ‘Disposable Vape’ bins to help provide safe disposal and recycling routes for the millions of vapes currently thrown away each week across the UK.

Householders can check www.recycleright.org.uk for details of what can be accepted at their local site.

The Centres provide a popular service for residents and can become extremely busy at peak times so visits should be planned carefully. There is a system in place for those who wish to visit in a van or with a large trailer – bookings can be made at www.merseysidewda.gov.uk. For the two Halton facilities (Johnsons Lane and Picow Farm) householders should contact Halton Council at www.halton.gov.uk.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

The picture attached is of a Household Waste Recycling Centre.

From October 1st 2023 until March 31st 2024 Merseyside’s Household Waste Recycling Centres will be open from 8.00am until 5.00pm*. The Centres are located at:
 

Halton –

Runcorn- Picow Farm Road – WA7 4UB

Widnes – Johnsons Lane – WA8 0SJ

Knowsley –

Huyton – Wilson Road – L36 6AD
Kirkby – Depot Road, Knowsley Industrial Park – L33 3AR

Liverpool –

Old Swan – Cheadle Avenue – L13 3AF

Otterspool – Jericho Lane, Aigburth – L17 5AR

Sefton –

Formby – Altcar Road, Formby – L37 8EG
Sefton Meadows – Sefton Lane, Maghull – L31 8BX
Southport – Foul Lane, Scarisbrick New Road – PR9 7RG
South Sefton – Irlam Road, Bootle – L20 4AE

St Helens –

Newton-le-Willows – Junction Lane – WA12 8DN
*Rainhill – Tasker Terrace, Rainhill – L35 4NX
Ravenhead – Burtonhead Road, St. Helens – WA9 5EA

Wirral –

Bidston – Wallasey Bridge Road, Birkenhead – CH41 1EB
Clatterbridge – Mount Road, Clatterbridge – CH63 4JZ

West Kirby – Greenbank Road – CH48 5HR

*NB:

Rainhill:

Monday to Friday: Open 8.00am-5.00pm

Saturdays: Open 9.00am-5.00pm

Sundays: Open 9.00am–3.00pm

Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for municipal waste on Merseyside. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste prevention and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.

West Kirby Recycling Centre will be open with reduced opening hours of 11am – 3pm for the duration of The Open golf championship from Sunday 16th to Sunday 23rd July. Normal opening hours will resume from Monday 24th July.

To avoid possible disruption please use Bidston, Clatterbridge or South Sefton Recycling Centres.

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Local residents are being urged to stop putting batteries in their bins, as they can cause fires and pollute the environment.

Batteries can contain hazardous materials, such as mercury, lead and cadmium which, if they are not disposed of correctly, can cause fires in waste collection vehicles, household bins and at Recycling Centres. Material Focus research has identified that over 700 fires in waste trucks and sites are caused by batteries that haven’t been removed from electricals.

An advertising campaign to promote messages about safe battery disposal is currently being run by a partnership of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA), Veolia, the six District Councils in Liverpool City Region, and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS). Adverts are being aired on local radio, and messages being run on digital and social media in collaboration with the Recycle Your Electricals campaign.

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of MRWA, said: “Batteries are a hazard to our workers, our community and our environment. If batteries, or electricals containing batteries, end up inside bins or waste collection lorries with other materials then they are crushed in the waste and recycling process. This increases the chances that they could be punctured and self-combust, setting fire to dry and flammable waste and household recycling around them.

“We urge residents to please stop putting batteries in their waste and recycling bins, bags or boxes, and instead dispose of them safely. Remove batteries from electricals if you can and recycle the batteries and electricals separately. If you can’t remove the batteries then always recycle your electricals separately.”

There are 16 Household Waste Recycling Centres throughout the region* that accept batteries. Residents can also find dedicated drop-off locations for battery disposal at many shops and supermarkets. To find your nearest recycling point residents can use the Recycle Your Electricals postcode locator.

According to research by Material Focus**, at least 25% of the UK public admit to binning batteries and 45% of householders are unaware of the fire risk if they don’t safely dispose of batteries hidden inside electricals.

All batteries should be recycled separately, never thrown away. Where possible, batteries should be removed from electrical products before recycling. If unable to remove the battery, recycle it together with old electricals.

John O’Boyle, Group Manager at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS), said: “Lithium-Ion batteries are common in everyday devices and are very safe. However, if they are mechanically damaged, over-charged, incorrectly charged, wet, short-circuited, or faulty they can go into “thermal runaway” and give off a toxic vapour cloud/cause fire with the potential to cause serious harm.

“It is vital to dispose of batteries safely and appropriately at a designated location, such as in shops and supermarkets or at one of the 16 Household Waste Recycling Centres across the region.”

Across Merseyside there has been an increase in accidental fires attributed to these types of items and Merseyside Fire and Rescue ask you to follow the advice given by the MRWA and MFRS. Batteries are used safely by most people every day but should still be disposed of in a safe manner.

Lesley Worswick continued: “It’s easy to do the right thing. Please don’t throw them in your bin. Just take your batteries to a Recycling Centre or to a supermarket the next time you’re doing a shop. You’ll be helping to keep our community safer.”

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Notes to editors:

** https://www.materialfocus.org.uk/press-releases/over-700-fires-in-bin-lorries-and-recycling-centres-are-caused-by-batteries-many-of-which-are-hidden-inside-electricals/

• From 1st April 2023 until 30th September 2023 Merseyside and Halton’s Household Waste Recycling Centres will be open from 8.00am until 8.00pm*. The Centres are located at:

Halton –
Runcorn – Picow Farm Road – WA7 4UB
Widnes – Johnsons Lane – WA8 0SJ

Knowsley –
Huyton – Wilson Road – L36 6AD
Kirkby – Depot Road, Knowsley Industrial Park – L33 3AR

Liverpool –
Old Swan – Cheadle Avenue – L13 3AF
Otterspool – Jericho Lane, Aigburth – L17 5AR

Sefton –
Formby – Altcar Road, Formby – L37 8EG
Sefton Meadows – Sefton Lane, Maghull – L31 8BX
Southport – Foul Lane, Scarisbrick New Road – PR9 7RG
South Sefton – Irlam Road, Bootle – L20 4AE

St Helens –
Newton-le-Willows – Junction Lane – WA12 8DN
Rainhill – Tasker Terrace, Rainhill – L35 4NX (NB: Rainhill: Open 9.00am–6.00pm on Saturdays; 9.00am–3.00pm on Sundays)
Ravenhead – Burtonhead Road, St. Helens – WA9 5EA

Wirral –
Bidston – Wallasey Bridge Road, Birkenhead – CH41 1EB
Clatterbridge – Mount Road, Clatterbridge – CH63 4JZ
West Kirby – Greenbank Road – CH48 5HR

A Sefton charity has spent the last year recruiting an army of volunteers to deliver workshops in clothes, furniture and plastics reuse to help stop materials from going to waste.

Fix Up, Look Sharp is the creation of Crosby-based Mencap Liverpool & Sefton, which last year was awarded £7990 by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority & Veolia Community Fund 2022/23 for the reuse and repair project.

Since July last year, the charity has been holding regular upcycling workshops, ‘fix-up fairs’ and arts and craft sessions to help local people breathe new life into old furniture, unwanted textiles and discarded plastics. All of the workshops have been delivered at the Mencap Liverpool & Sefton Cottage on Mariners Road, Crosby.

Mencap Liverpool & Sefton is a local, independent charity that promotes equality for people with a learning disability, helping them to discover new opportunities, make new friends, and feel valued and safe in their community.

Nadine Jones, Progression Co-ordinator at Mencap Liverpool & Sefton, said: “Our Fix Up, Look Sharp project has been using regular workshops to give people the skills and opportunities to reimagine and repurpose clothes, plastics and furniture. We want to equip all our participants with the knowledge and inspiration to rescue, repair and repurpose items that could otherwise have been thrown away. I hope that we have helped people to understand the consequences of unnecessary waste so that everyone engaged with the project is motivated to consume more responsibly.”

According to a recent analysis* around 5% of household bins locally contained textiles such as clothes and shoes, a lot of which could still be used. The same report showed that plastic items made up 11.9% of Merseyside and Halton’s kerbside residual (i.e. black bin bag) waste.

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “Our Community Fund projects are always full of inspirational ideas. Local organisations such as Mencap Liverpool & Sefton can deliver zero waste and sustainability messages and ideas in a way that people can relate to in their own lives, which is a benefit to the local environment.”

In total, Mencap Liverpool & Sefton are hoping that by the end of the project they will have delivered 10 litter picks in conjunction with local litter picking groups like Crosby Wombles and Friends of Crosby Beach, 10 ‘Fix Up Fairs’ (where participants can find new homes for items that they don’t want to keep), and numerous textiles, furniture and plastics workshops including workshops that upcycled old pallets into garden furniture and herb gardens.

From 21^st to 23^rd May there is a three-day revamp of all of their coffee shop furniture. Here, Mencap members together with a team of artists and volunteers from the local community will be joining celebrity upcycler Gemma Longworth (‘Find It, Fix It, Flog It’) to revamp the coffee shop. At all the events, participants have been learning how to make simple fixes and alterations so that items can be saved, reused and improved.

By the end of Fix Up, Look Sharp, it is estimated that almost two tonnes of material will be reused which would otherwise have gone to waste.

Nadine Jones continued: “Not only has this project brought together the community it has also given adults with learning disabilities the opportunity to build their confidence, connections, skill sets and discover hidden talents and interests! All while giving many items new life and legacies.”

For those who want to get involved with Mencap Liverpool & Sefton, they can email marianne.manson@mencapliverpool.org.uk, or text FIXUP to 07554 410 555.

Please follow the traffic signs, we aim to keep disruption to a minimum but during the works there may
be queuing at busier times.

To avoid possible disruption please use Bidston or West Kirby Recycling Centre or consider visiting during off
peak times before 10:00am and after 6:00pm. www.merseyside-and-halton.veolia.co.uk/HWRCS