During lockdown, following an interest in recycling shown from the tenants and some of the staff, the Wardend team decided to open a discussion around setting up an eco project. The service users were able to converse what changes they would like to see, airing ideas with a great deal of enthusiasm. This resulted in the Eco House project being set up to minimise their plastic waste and non-recyclable items.   

The service started work on the project, and everyone who is supported there was allocated their responsibilities. Fiona has taken up the admin role, writing up their monthly goals on the eco board, while Clare is in charge of collecting the contents of the recycling box, which has been set at the top of the stairs each week. Kyle will use his bike, which he fixed up himself, to take their glass recycling to the local collection point, and Lynda will mix the new eco-friendly anti-bacterial spray with the help of the support team every week.

Here is the list of their achievements so far, and we think everyone can agree that they are doing a fantastic job!

• Swapped buying plastic anti-bacterial sprays and cleaners for eco-friendly dissolvable tablets.

• Installed foam soap dispensers in the bathrooms to minimise waste from hand soap.

• Growing their own food – chillies, cucumbers, tomatoes, rhubarb, and herbs.

• Recycled their glass.

• Made bird boxes for the local community and a bug hotel for the garden.

• Used tyres to make garden features.

• Learning to make old things into new – wool into pompoms, restoring bikes, re-using old bedding for cloths.

• Learning about plastic and what can and can’t be recycled.

Their current monthly goal is to work on getting rid of disposable cloths for the bathrooms, by sourcing eco-friendly 100% compostable and flushable wipes, as well as using recycled clothes alongside their dissolvable eco cleaners. All this allows them to clean the bathrooms safely whilst cutting down their waste.

The people supported at the service, along with the support team are continuing to embark on what they describe as a ‘huge learning curve’, helping to make the world a greener place. What a team!