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Communities’ Reduce, Re-use & Recycle project

Communities’ Reduce,

Re-use & Recycle project

In a broader sense, our goal is to foster a transformation in attitudes, behaviors, and awareness regarding waste and consumption. This transformation will be facilitated through a variety of engaging activities, including:

  • Sessions dedicated to clothing repairs and alterations

  • Sewing and stitching classes

  • Entertaining Swap Shop events

  • Vibrant fashion shows

  • Distributing food parcels to vulnerable families

  • Interactive cookery sessions

  • Engaging DIY upcycling workshops

  • Informative ‘Composting’ and ‘Wormery’ workshops

  • Educational visits to recycling centers

  • Participation in the Edinburgh Climate Festival

  • Carbon Literacy Training

  • Peer to Peer Programme

  • Climate Hero Programme

  • Nature Regeneration related activities and more…

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We’ve cultivated strong relationships with the Polish, South Asian, Chinese, and African communities over time, due to ELREC’s well-established connections. These communities are particularly well-represented in Edinburgh’s demographic landscape, and it’s with them that we collaborate closely to drive this initiative forward.

Our impact & achievements

Communities Reduce Reuse & Recycle – Jointly project delivered by ELREC & NKS have numerous reasons to celebrate!

Last year the project engaged with over 7,220 people from ethnic minority (EM) communities and delivered 661 activities on climate change and saved a total of 189.3T CO2e (project) or 567.9 T CO2e (lifetime).

Additionally, the project benefited from the dedication of 87 volunteers who actively participated throughout its duration, volunteering over 5730 hours.

Last year – 2022

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C3R 5
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C3R 7
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To realign ourselves with nature’s equilibrium, we need to start working together. Climate change is affecting us all, and everyone has a role to play in taking climate action.

To truly end our contribution to the climate crisis, we need to rethink how we consume in Scotland and around the world. 

Approximately 80% of Scotland’s ecological footprint can be attributed to the production, utilisation, and subsequent discarding of products and materials.

The evidence is clear. Consumption in Scotland is unsustainably high.

Did you know?

  • About 80% of Scotland’s carbon footprint is originated from the production, utilisation, the frequent disposal of goods, materials, and services, often after just a single use.

  • Each Scottish household contributes over a ton of waste annually, yet a substantial portion of this waste could be minimised, repurposed, or recycled, playing a role in shaping a net zero nation.

  • In the year 2020, household waste in Scotland surpassed 2.4 million tonnes, but only 1 million tonnes were recycled. The remaining waste was managed through landfill (650,000 tonnes) and incineration (750,000 tonnes), encompassing recovery and co-incineration processes, as well as other management methods.

  • In the City of Edinburgh, an average of 381.34 kg of household waste per person was generated in 2020, contributing to approximately 0.95 TCO2e per individual.

  • A resident of Scotland presently consumes resources equivalent to what three planets could provide. Yet, we have only one planet at our disposal.

Reasons to reduce, reuse and recycle:

  • Energy and resources are wasted whenever an item goes to landfill

  • Raw materials are a limited resource – we might not always be able to replace what we throw away

  • Less landfill means less pollution – and a cleaner, greener Scotland

  • Waste costs – for example, Scotland’s avoidable food waste alone runs to more than £1 billion a year.

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Join us in the fight against climate change and work towards constructing a world that is both fairer and more sustainable for all!

Let’s unite our forces to implement a circular economy in Scotland, ensuring that everyone is part of the green transition!

To engage in our initiatives, kindly reach out to us at cfc@elrec.org.uk or check us out on social media platforms!

If you’re enthusiastic about climate action and interested in volunteering with us to support the implementation of sustainable activities, please submit your volunteer application to cfc@elrec.org.uk.

Get in touch

The project would not run without the help of the amazing ELREC team and our funders! Thank you very much for all your support!

“Super inspiring workshops, encouraging people to live in a more eco-friendly way. It certainly contributes to improving my awareness of waste segregation and minimizing the creation of new ones.”
"The Carbon Literacy Training was really insightful! I often find talking about the current climate situation quite depressing so it’s really nice to be learning with a much more optimistic outlook and having named actionable steps I can take personally."
"It is lovely to be in a friendly and enthusiastic group of people cooperating together to learn how to grow our own food and nurture our environment."
"The Sewing Club is not just about sewing; it's an opportunity for interaction, fun, and learning. We also delve into cultural education, and most importantly, we develop relationships that feel like family."
"It's so important seeing so many like-minded individuals working together to create a better society through events like food support, climate festivals, and swap shops, I feel greatly motivated and decided to carry on the same spirit throughout my life."
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Project news

We are hiring: Polish Community Link Officer

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12 April 2024

Polish Community Link Officer – Communities’ Reduce Reuse & Recycle Project Salary: £7,880.50 | 12 hours (Part-time) Application deadline: 29th April 2024 Funding will be for a period of 5 years – An annual contract review will be conducted with a 3 month probationary period. This post is funded by …

Circular Economy Fashion Show

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10 April 2024

     We are taking a moment to look back at the amazing success of the Circular Economy Fashion show, that took place recently right outside the Scottish Parliament – in Holyrood, Edinburgh.      Our C3R team had the pleasure of collaborating along with many other brilliant organisations working …

Permaculture Course

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14 February 2024

Permaculture Course Interested in learning more about planting & growing? ‘Organic gardening for nutrition, using permaculture ethics and principles’ is a free, educational course, running from March until September 2024. It will take place on Fridays, from 2.00pm to 3.30pm at our ELREC plot with Lauriston Farm. Participants are expected to …

Recruiting Volunteer Coordinator

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30 January 2024

Recruiting Volunteer Coordinator   We are looking for a Volunteer with great management skills to assist us with this year’s edition of Edinburgh Climate Festival 🌳 If you work well within a team, and would like to gain more experience within a climate related field, then this could be the …

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