We worked with EC1 NDC (New Deal for Communities) to deliver a community recycling project to its extensive network of high density social housing.

We started by creating a proposal based on analysis of the following three areas:

current services and on-site facilities, eg. location of existing bring sites, lumber stores, disused garages or other building features of each block;
satisfaction or otherwise of users and service providers and their views on how the situation could be improved, together with feedback on proposed improvements, drawn from both past consultation reports as well as consultation undertaken specifically for this project;
analysis of potential solutions based on the estate’s waste inventory and feedback from consultation sessions, taking into account wider relevant policies/activities.

Our proposal provided EC1 with the opportunity to rethink both the way waste is stored and collected from estates, and how residents on estates are able to participate in recycling.

The inventory was conducted by a dedicated field team through on-the-ground observations, visual assessment of the way the service currently works for each estate and the problems encountered. It considered waste collection, recycling services and bulky waste services.

During the inventory we also carried out a small consultation exercise with residents, resident associations, caretakers and their managers to gain initial insight into problems and concerns. We then identified four pilot areas which we felt would benefit the most from a recycling based solution to their waste problems.

The main element of the consultation exercise came in the guise of our highly successful Recycle for Real exercise. This aimed to make the process of recycling real for the residents in the NDC area. We invited a group of residents from each block in the pilot areas to a community involvement group, where recycling issues were discussed. Residents made it clear that they were keen to recycle if the resources to do were provided. They also suggested changes to the scheme that would ensure the maximum number of people could participate.

The pilots proposal has recently been approved and we hope to start work on the scheme very shortly. This will involve a great deal more consultation with residents and it is expected that the successful schemes will be rolled out throughout the NDC area.

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