In 2021/2022 we asked (and continue to ask) our residents to ‘Rethink Waste*’. Through fun weekly activities (including videos, quizzes, blogs and pledges), residents who signed up have been provided with ideas on how they can reduce waste at home and when out and about. They also get rewarded with points which they can use to reward themselves or to donate to their community.

This initiative in partnership with Joint Waste Solutions (JWS), Surrey Environment Partnership and Greenredeem, is one part of our journey towards a Sustainable Elmbridge.

Emma Oryem from our communications team tells us more;

“We all know we need reduce our waste but being conscious of it in our food shopping and our clothes shopping sometimes needs some practical tips to help us along the way, such as writing a shopping list based on the items in your cupboards and fridge and providing recipes for leftovers. Rethink Waste aims to do just that.

“Using all our communications channels from social media, to our website, to our noticeboards, we have provided information and incentives for our residents to sign up to rethink their waste.

“Our residents also had the opportunity to donate their reward points to a local school, the school would then benefit from funding for their school. We had 16 local schools enter and we have been delighted with the response.”

Becoming sustainable takes much effort, thought and consideration but through initiatives such as Rethink Waste we are moving positively forward.

*Residents can still register for the Rethink Waste incentive programme.