Educating future generations and local communities about the 3Rs has been a constant in the history of EMERGE. As our full name indicates: East Manchester Environment & Resources Group Emerge, resource conservation is at the heart of what we do, as is stimulating fresh thinking about everyday materials and processes. Our first practical work in 1996 was with young people in East Manchester, creating carnival costumes from rubbish, to demonstrate the principles of waste reduction, reuse and recycling. We went on to create numerous carnival floats from junk, organised Manchester’s first ‘3Rs Fashion Show’ and ran artistic and educational workshops to inspire others to reconsider their attitudes towards and see greater value in waste. Today, EMERGE’s education team is made up of professionals. Our work is high quality and complementary to the national curriculum, directly supporting learners, teachers and staff to achieve positive outcomes as well as meet the challenges of making schools more environmentally friendly and self-determinedly responsible.
What motivates us? Despite the 3Rs hierarchy being simple to understand, ‘double-think’ persists. How do you really reduce waste? We in so-called civilised society continue to squander resources with an alarming disregard for the warnings of climate scientists and carbon footprinters. Yet whose responsibility is it? The “we are what we do” campaign slogan rings out! The role of producers cannot be underestimated, yet we consumers need to take more responsibility for the choices we make. EMERGE’s Big Lottery funded REAL Skills Programme delivers a variety of innovative educational workshops for youngsters of all ages as well as school staff and the wider community. We explore the 3Rs and the complexity of issues around sustainability, how to reduce materials’ usage and enact sustainable purchasing.
Our latest exciting initiative is ‘Zero Waste Week’. ‘Zero Waste’ is “a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, intending to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.”
A legacy of our Big Lottery funded programme, EMERGE piloted Zero Waste Week in Manchester Schools in 2010, assisting 13 schools to reduce their waste by a total of 6 tonnes whilst also reducing 12 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions in the process. Thanks to the foresight of Greater Manchester Waste
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Disposal Authority and its 10 local authority members who are supporting the expansion of this groundbreaking pilot we are launching the scheme on the Greater Manchester stage. EMERGE will work with 36 schools culminating in a celebration event in May 2011.
By making more with less, Zero Waste seeks to reduce the ever-growing pressure on the world’s forests, soils and mineral resources. For example, doubling the life of a car saves the 15 tonnes of materials required to make a new one. Recycling paper gives wood fibres six lives rather than one. Increasing the productivity of resources also leads to major savings in energy. Zero Waste will play a central role in cutting CO2 emissions and sequestering carbon in the soil. Zero Waste Alliance UK’s Charter seeks to stop the burning of waste that creates climate changing greenhouse gases (heat and power from waste produces thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases, toxic gases and toxic ash). EMERGE backs their ideas for creating a new, sustainable, green economy.
Val Barton, Director ZWA UK, says, “Evidence shows that, where it has been piloted, progress towards Zero Waste is on course in the UK and that committed individuals and communities are close to achieving it. There are already examples of 88+% recycling today.” Martin Horwood MP recently confirmed that Zero Waste is a stated objective of the Coalition Government. “It is only when people understand that Zero Waste is achievable and is the only truly sustainable policy to deal with discarded materials that we shall see a real progressive reduction in residuals. When the top end of the waste heirarchy is successful who needs plans for the bottom end?”
EMERGE is now translating ‘3Rs’ messages into workplaces, given that we provide waste management services to 750+ Greater Manchester businesses. Encouraging Zero Waste has never been timelier, particularly when waste reduction offers clear savings. We’re also working with the FSB, Enviromedia and a number of partners to re-livery our vehicles (watch this space in the next edition) if you’re seeking a sponsorship opportunity locally.
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