Welcome to Community Waste Network South West’s first directory of community waste groups and their partners as well as other key contacts throughout the region.

The directory is also available as an on-line version which will be regularly updated to reflect changes in contact details over time. To view the on-line version please visit www.crn.org.uk.

The South West of England has a strong history of community and voluntary action in the environmental field in general and in dealing with waste issues in particular.

The organisations listed in this directory range in size from small voluntary groups to multi million pound social enterprises, undertaking activities such as collecting domestic recyclable materials from the kerbside, furniture re-use, community composting and waste education and awareness raising. What links each of these organisations, no matter what their size or field of operation, is the desire to reduce the quantities of waste we produce and send for disposal in landfills or incinerators, and a commitment to maximise that which can be recycled or re-used for the benefit of their local communities.

In the past year the regional network has provided:

• A fortnightly e-bulletin and monthly funding bulletin
  
• One to one advice and business support
  
• Improved networking and training events for waste educators funded by the Government Office for the South West
  
• Networking events for organisations involved in furniture and electronic goods re-use, wood recycling and composting of food waste in schools
  

We will be working hard to continue to develop the range of services we offer and to assist the sector in the region to develop and grow.

We hope you find this directory useful and if you think we should know more about your organisation and what it does please contact us.

The primary role of the Community Waste Network South West is to develop support services and structures for the community waste sector in the South West region.

Our purpose is to:

• provide tailor-made services for community waste organisations, including consultancy, business support and training events
  
• increase the levels of social, environmental and economic benefit delivered
  
• lobby and represent community sector interests at local and regional government levels
  
• pursue funds and develop core support services
  
• increase partnerships with local authorities