Author: John Lally

A Halton scheme to increase reuse and waste prevention is set to reach out to the local community after winning £8,000 funding.

The Make Use and Lend project will be based at the charity Halton Play Council’s Resource Centre on Mersey Road, Runcorn and aims:

• To increase the amounts of materials being re-used, repaired and loaned rather than thrown away or recycled. This will include textiles, plastics, paper, metal, wood, electrical/electronic items, cardboard and glass;

• To upgrade and update our Toy Library Service for use by the local community with toys and activities to suit all abilities and development needs including a range of resources for special educational nee. Learning through play supports children’s natural physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. This is even more important following the COVID- lockdowns to support positive physical and mental well-being.

• To address environmental impacts the toys we lend out will help to reduce the amounts of plastic and other materials going to waste.

• To provide craft workshops and swishing and sale events to help increase awareness and skills to recycle. re-use, repair and prevent waste.

The scheme was one of just 17 projects awarded funding from Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority/Veolia annual Community Fund and will run until the end of March 2022. The first big event will be a textile sale planned for the end of July at the Resource Centre.

Halton Play Council manager, Joyce Reilly said: “This project and our services play a key and positive role to support vulnerable children and families in Halton particularly as we recover from the impacts of the pandemic. This project will show we can do more as a local community to reduce the amount of materials we throw away, develop new skills and knowledge and demonstrate the value of volunteering.”

Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority Chairperson Cllr Tony Concepcion said: “Make Use and Lend Halton is a great idea and a worthy recipient of our Community Fund. It will keep textiles and clothes from going to waste, give other unwanted items a new lease of life, and – separate to the waste element – will show the benefits of play to vulnerable children.

“Giving groups like Halton Play Council the opportunity to look after the environment can bring benefits to all of us and can help appreciate items as valuable resources rather than something which might be just thrown away.”

Information on the project and events will be provided on the Halton Play Council social media and website: www.haltonplaycouncil.co.uk; Facebook: Halton Play Council Ltd; Twitter: haltonplayc

ENDS

Media enquiries to:

Stuart Donaldson, Halton Play Council Email: stuartwho1@live.co.uk Tel: 07882693249

Picture Caption: Volunteers outside Halton Play Council Resource Centre (Sally, Ian and Stuart)

Note to Editors
1. Halton Play Council was established in 1997 as a local independent charity which supports, delivers and champions free play for all children in Halton.
2. The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund supports community and voluntary sector groups, not for profit social enterprises and schools in Liverpool City Region.
3. MRWA operates (via a contract with Veolia) 14 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) for householders in the Merseyside area wishing to recycle and dispose of their own waste.
4. Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. It is a Statutory Authority that works with the local authorities in Merseyside and with Halton Borough Council and MRWA takes a lead in advocating waste prevention, re-use and recycling in the City Region.

A project aiming to cut the amount of clothes and textiles going to waste has recently celebrated a significant funding boost.

Toxteth-based education organisation Liverpool World Centre has received £18,000 from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia Community Fund to run waste prevention project the Ten Tonne Challenge.

The scheme – being delivered in partnership with environmental charity Faiths4Change – is engaging with local schools and universities via workshops, talks and surveys to raise awareness of and help reduce clothes and textiles waste.

An estimated 18,000 tonnes of textiles are discarded from households each year in the Liverpool City Region, a lot of which could still be used. It is this behaviour the project is hoping to change and itself will look to stop over ten tonnes of material from going to waste.

Pablo Guidi, Director at Liverpool World Centre, said: “The whole project will connect children and adults to environmental issues. The educational activities will highlight the life cycle of textiles, including the production and disposal of clothing, delivered through teacher training, assemblies and student workshops.”

Liverpool World Centre launched the project in December with a secondary schools Climate Conference which involved students identifying their own climate actions. Training workshops in textile waste management are being delivered to 35 schools, plus assemblies to schools who either haven’t engaged with environmental work or are in areas of low recycling performance. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Lockdown, several teacher training sessions have been successfully delivered digitally.

Pablo Guidi continued: “There has been an increased pupil participation in climate change activities. We think that by working with school councils we can encourage pupils to direct their actions in a positive way. The focus on raising awareness that all textiles can go for reuse or recycling will help give children a belief that the climate emergency can be tackled.”

Carl Beer, Chief Executive of MRWA, said: “Our research shows that there are high quantities of textiles – such as clothes, carpets, curtains – placed in recycling and household waste bins across kerbside collections in the Liverpool City Region. However, textiles shouldn’t go into bins. Instead, Recycling Centres, charities, local bring banks all accept clothes and textiles where they will go on to be recycled or reused.”

All schools involved are being encouraged to take part in a series of activities to showcase their learning about the textile journey, such as fundraising (through www.recycle4school.org.uk), Pop Up Boutiques, swap shops, technology (such as building scarecrows) and arts and crafts.

One student involved in the project is Grace Harrison, studying at Liverpool Hope University, who said: “I think that the 10 Tonne challenge is a great educational project, not only is it super fun for the children to get involved in but it is also vital environmentally changing information being passed onto the next generation. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time participating in the project, as not only have I learnt a lot but I’ve loved seeing young people engaged in the project.”

By the end of the project it is hoped that up to 60 schools will have engaged in waste education activities, 680 schools will have received a textiles and clothes waste fact sheet, and trainee teachers at two universities will have delivered sub-projects on waste and the environment.

Carl Beer of MRWA, continued: “Textiles waste is a big issue with a significant environmental impact – however, projects like the Ten Tonne Challenge can help have a real positive influence to see that waste reduced.”

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News to editors:
• The attached pictures show: Pupils at St Mary’s and St Paul’s C of E Primary School in Prescot with their Ten Tonne Challenge textiles crafts.

• 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 and Wirral. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.

• Liverpool World Centre (LWC) is a Development Education Centre which works with communities, educators, schools, charities, businesses and pupils across the region and beyond to make world issues relevant to the lives of young people.

• The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund has contributed £18,070 to a total budget of £25,670.

• The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 20/21 has seen 15 community groups from Merseyside and Halton share £150,000 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.