In addition to the ongoing support and representation work the CRN UK carries out on behalf of it’s membership, it is also involved in various other projects, often in partnership with other organisations. These projects have been developed to contribute to the development of the sector and relate to the core activities of the CRN UK.
Please click on the links below to find out more about the project work we are carrying out and how to get involved.
Current CRN UK projects
Cheshire Furniture Re-use Forum
The Community Resource Network has provided co-ordination for CFRF for the last year and for the next two years.
As it’s name suggests, CFRF is a networking body for (presently) thirteen re-use organisations in Cheshire. Funding for the forum comes from the two unitary authorities, Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester.
This reflects the importance of developing relationships with public and private authorities alongside support for sector organisations on an individual basis.
The funding is for a work programme devised with the member organisations.
Work programme 2011/12.
As always in our sector, the largest concentration in any funding relationship is how much the activity performed by the sector can benefit the funding authority. Until recently this concentration was on tonnage of waste diverted.
The primary purpose of re-use is to drive that waste higher up the Waste Hierarchy, and in doing so embrace a far wider social and equality agenda in the process. Thus, the aim of the Cheshire Re-use organisations – as indeed with most re-use organisations – is to alleviate poverty and bring about wider social change and re-distribution of resources, through the medium of furniture and appliance re-use.
The work programme for next year includes work on:
- Partnership Development: especially with the two authorities and the wide range of Housing Associations and social landlords;
- Bulky Waste Contracts: CWaC in 2012, Cheshire East later in the year. We are working on Forum Partnerships delivering both contracts;
- Single Reuse Number for Cheshire, Member Profile Raising, delivering more – together.
- Bridging Gaps in Service: There are currently a few areas with no re-use service provision. The forum, working with housing association and other partners is looking to fill the gaps.
Future Jobs Fund and the Green Jobs Partnership
CRN UK is part of The Green Jobs Partnership. In December 2009 funding was received from the Department of Work and Pensions- Future Jobs Fund to supply 90 jobs to our members throughout England. All Future Jobs Fund employees receive basic training in health and safety, first aid, manual handling, customer service work in addition to on the- job vocational training.
CORCA
The Commercial & Office Recycling Collections Assembly (or CORCA) is a REalliance Third Sector Capacity Building programme funded project. Its aim is to develop and build the capacity of the sector in dealing with the huge challenge of commercial & industrial waste. Commercial waste recycling is high on the governments agenda at the moment and provides interesting opportunities for third sector organisations to get involved.The project has developed a manual to help hose looking to work with businesses and includes items such as equipment, finances & budgets and types of collections and materials.
CRN Healthcare project
The NHS currently produces over a million tonnes of waste a year, costing £73m. in disposal. This is also a costly burden on our decreasing landfill supply.Between 70%-90% of healthcare waste is similar to domestic waste, and much of it can be re-used or recycled. Government say the NHS recycled just 14% of waste in 2007-8, but because little research has been done on this, no one is really quite sure. As the recession continues to bite and public sector budgets are cut, NHS budgets will be cut. The potential savings for hospitals and other health related services are substantial.
Training – CRN UK is also a registered training centre for the one day accredited CIWM Waste Awareness(CIWM say we were one of their most active training centres in the country in 2007-8.) A new healthcare version of this course, developed in conjunction with the NHS, has just been finalised, and is ready for rolling out. See www.ciwm.co.uk. We can also offer you this course, motivating your staff in better resource management.
Waste Audits – We can help you conduct a waste audit, concentrating on reducing waste and exploring the potential for the ‘domestic’ waste stream (black bag waste and bulky waste.) We will agree with you the exact focus and scope of your audit, which will take approx. 2-3 hours initially, with a follow up report and analysis. There is no charge to you for this.
M62 Project
Waste disposal costs are rising steeply because of shortage of landfill sites. As the recession continues to bite and profits are squeezed, businesses look to efficiency savings. We have to find ways of freeing the valuable resources ‘locked up’ in the millions of tonnes of business waste – recycling these materials also creates further jobs. This waste stream totals 68 million tonnes a year nationally and equals 24% of all waste)(DEFRA Report – ‘Commercial and Industrial Waste in England – Oct. 2009’.)
Over a sixth of the population lives along the M62 corridor between Liverpool and Leeds. In the West Yorkshire section alone (Leeds, Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield) there are approx. 70, 000 businesses. Many of these small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) which are currently not being provided with any kind of recycling service. We aim to help businesses reduce waste at source and find outlets for re-using and recycling materials within the community. A consortium of social enterprises could provide office paper, cans, plastic, glass and cardboard collections, as well as taking away surplus office furniture, carpets, WEEE, textiles, etc.
Waste Audits – We can help you conduct a waste audit, concentrating on reducing waste and exploring the potential for re-use in the community. We will agree with you the exact focus and scope of your audit.
A One Stop Shop – We have social enterprises along the M62 corridor which can work together in partnership with you to re-use and recycle in a way which benefits your local community. Many businesses are concerned about their surrounding social fabric. This is a win-win scenario: money stays within local communities, generating profit to be re-invested, not exported to distant shareholders.
Training – CRN UK is also a registered training centre for the one day accredited CIWM Waste Awareness(CIWM say we were one of their most active training centres in the country in 2007-8.) The course aims to provide an introduction to wastes management and to give knowledge, understanding and skills to improve the management of wastes in your workplace.
Bulky Waste
Bulky Waste diversion from Landfill has been an issue for some time and nowhere more so than in Greater Manchester, where, following a report during the year, REalliance funding was secured for 2010/11 to develop closer partnership formation between network organisations and Local Authorities.
The aim of this work, in the face of an array of different services in the districts, is to divert as much of the Bulky Waste that can be re-used into the hands of Furniture Re-use Organisations. It sounds simple! We certainly think it is achievable.The primacy of the Bulky Waste issue is echoed around the region, with close partnership between sector organisations and Local Collection authorities taking place in Cumbria and Cheshire.
The past year, an initiative was developed around networking organisations delivering commercial collection services. Developed from the earlier CRN Resource Saver project, this has now resulted in a major programme of work called the M62 Commercial and Healthcare waste projects (described above).
Previous Projects
Regional Development Programme – this programme was originally funded by Defra through the Third Sector Support Programme. It supported 4 regional development coordinators in the South West, East of England, the Yorkshire and Humber and the North West. It also funded networking / stakeholder days in the South East, the East & West Midlands and the North East.
The aim of this project was to deliver strategic and direct support to the regions, work closely with local authorities and regional agencies and more direct support to front line groups. Whilst this funding source ended the success of this programme has been demonstrated through the additional funding bought in from the Yorkshire & Humber and the North West both of which have thriving regional networks
Campaign for Real Recycling – a campaign to encourage government and local authorities to improve the quality of the materials they collect for recycling in the UK. The campaign was formed by leading reprocessors, the community recycling sector and Friends of the Earth. CRN UK set up and ran the campaign and it is now a separate entity.
Compost Doctors – This project worked with composting experts to develop appropriate on-site composting equipment, run pilot projects at establishments and to develop a consultancy service for business.
Measure your Treasure – provided practical guidance on data collection and measuring the amounts of resources an organisation collects. Includes guidance for estimating weights for community composting, commercial collections and scrapstores. Also includes the importance of recording what you’re collecting for funding, auditing and local authorities.