A new community force – Islington’s recycling champions – is taking action to help tackle the climate emergency.
The innovative project involves recruiting enthusiastic volunteer residents – or “champions” – who promote green practices in the local community.
A great way to meet like-minded people and learn new skills, participants make a positive contribution by encouraging friends, family and colleagues to reduce, reuse and recycle waste in order to reduce their carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming.
Recycling champions are also encouraged to speak with other residents to identify local service issues which can be fed back to the council’s recycling team.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to make a helpful, green contribution in the area, email [email protected] with your name, address, email and phone number. No previous knowledge or experience is required to get involved as the council offers recycling champions training and support, although you do need to be 18 or over.
One recycling champion, Annabel Goulding, said: “I’ve long been interested in recycling but find it confusing in the UK where local authorities do things differently and suppliers are not required to be consistent in their labelling.
“So I jumped at the opportunity to learn more and become a recycling champion.”
At a launch event on Tuesday, 11 February, the recycling champions met with Executive Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Rowena Champion, to feed back their ideas and learn more about the impact they can make.
Cllr Champion said: “We’re committed to tackling the climate emergency and our fantastic, hard-working recycling champions are taking action to make Islington a greener place.
“Volunteering to be a recycling champion is an ideal way to make a telling impact in the community and meet new people, and we’d love to hear from people who might like to get involved.
“We are extremely grateful to our volunteers, and see them as playing a key role in our detailed four-year plan to reduce waste and increase recycling.”
