Recyclers set to measure their treasure

The Community Recycling Network has just launched a project, called Measure Your Treasure, to develop a standardised system of data collection for the community waste sector.

Funding organisations, such as the New Opportunities Fund, Best Value and local authorities’ efforts to meet statutory targets all need consistent and reliable data from recycling schemes. The CRN project will develop an accurate data collection system for the community waste sector. The methods of collection and collation employed will meet criteria which are verifiable and accepted by external organisations.

“What types of material do CRN members handle? How much of each type? Where does it all go? Where did it come from? We need answers to these questions in the community sector and we need to collect such data in a consistent and useful way,” says Naomi Johnson, project manager.

“There is greater and greater pressure from external agencies on the community sector for good quality information about the waste being handled. Accurate knowledge of the sector is crucial for improved service provision. It will help us target services to members, feed into national waste statistics and have a role in decision making processes.”

The project was launched at the CRN 12^th annual conference held in Bristol in May.

Mid Devon Community Recycling Ltd is the first organisation to benefit from the project IT when the project was launched at the CRN conference. The CRN member group won first prize in a draw to give away a reconditioned internet-ready computer – kindly donated by Recycle-IT.

Dee Ross of Mid Devon Community Recycling said: “I am very pleased and excited. The computer will be very useful. As a small business we have to be professional to grow and compete with the private sector.”

Notes for editors:

The CRN data project is funded through landfill tax credits from Biffaward, with 10 per cent coming from producer responsibility compliance scheme Valpak.

The project employs four staff: Naomi Johnson, project manager; Paul Roberts, project officer; Craig McCormick, IT support officer and Lucy Rees, administration officer.

The Community Recycling Network is a national umbrella organisation representing over 300 community recycling and waste management projects throughout the UK.

The CRN’s aim is to promote community recycling as a practical and effective way of tackling the UK’s growing waste problem. The members work together to promote sustainable waste management and have achieved some of the highest recycling rates in the UK.

The Community Recycling Network is based at Trelawny House, Surrey Street, Bristol, BS2 8PS, tel: (0117) 942 0142. The CRN website is www.crn.org.uk.

For further information:

Naomi Johnson, Project Manager, Paul Roberts, Project Officer, (0117) 908 1302, Andy Nelmes, CRN Press Officer, (0117) 907 4368, andyn@crn.org.uk

s, CRN Press Officer, (0117) 907 4368, andyn@crn.org.uk