Manchester Encourages Green Bus Drivers!

Greetings,

First Bus Group has recently announced the implementation of a bonus policy called DriveGreen for drivers of all 784 of its buses in Greater Manchester. Apparently this scheme could see each driver saving up to 500 litres of petrol per annum, and save First over £44,000 and 132,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the first year alone. Schemes like this really show that by making small changes you soon make a significant impact in terms of carbon production. Perhaps they might also consider adding to their bonus criteria careful driving in conjunction with cyclists... savings on limbs and lives might also help reduce carbon (not to mention the zero-carbon impact which cycling provides!)

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.

EMERGE - Recycling In Manchester

Greetings,

I realised the other day that I've been running this blog for well over 6 months now but I've not explained in any depth to you who and what EMERGE is/are and what we do.

EMERGE was set up as a voluntary organisation in 1996 by myself and a group of like-minded individuals, the objectives of which were to help bolster the local economy of Openshaw, engage the wider community in thinking and doing more about sustainable resource management and thereby act as a catalyst to get businesses and households recycling.

We registered the company as limited by guarantee (effectively a not-for-individual-profit basis) in May 1998 and ran on a new business support plus a Princes Youth Business Trust grant and loan but it wasn't until 1999 that we actually employed our first full-time member of staff. EMERGE now collects from over 700 businesses, 125 schools and 7000 households in the Greater Manchester area. We employ 30 local staff from our HQ in Openshaw and recycle a comprehensive range of materials including most dry recyclates and some hazardous waste.

Have a look at the history page on our website for more information about how we have developed since the outset. I'd like to believe that many of the people who work at EMERGE aren't only here because they need to earn a crust, but because they genuinely believe that through high quality recycling services, environmental education and positive engagement we can make a genuine difference to conserving resources and protecting our precious planet now and in the future. Sounds idealistic? Maybe, but I'd say we need more idealism, optimism matched with tenacity in order to sort out the mess we are making!

I've been grafting on some red tape recently and hopefully I should have something quite interesting to tell you about EMERGE soon, we're keeping it under wraps for now but it will definitely put us into a unique position in the recycling industry!

I'll keep you posted, watch this space!

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.

NING - Recycling In Manchester

Hi folks,

Just a quick post to inform you that I've set up a NING social network called: Recycling In Manchester. Please feel free to join and offer your input, I'd love to see this really take off as a hub for like minded people to discuss how we can make a real difference in Manchester.

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.

Manchester Recycles Sewage!

Greetings,

I've come across another interesting development in Manchester; apparently United Utilities in partnership with WRAP are planning to roll out a scheme across Greater Manchester which will involve commercial sewage recycling! Apparently it can be converted into a biomethane which can then be used in place of gas to warm people's homes etc. This limitless supply of sustainable energy presents a great opportunity as it significantly reduces the carbon footprint of gas import and might even represent a significant cost saving to the end user, according to Caroline Ashton - Biofuels Manager, United Utilities.

Whilst at first you might turn your nose up at the thought of powering your home with recycled sewage, it really is the ultimate example of closed loop recycling!

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.

Volunteering through EMERGE

Are you looking to get work experience and references?

Are you just hoping to meet some like-minded people?

Would you like to get involved in your community and do something to help the environment?

If so, EMERGE can help you find an environmental volunteering opportunity that suits you interests and abilities.

You may be interested in volunteering as a driver, doing outdoor activities, running events...Whatever your skills and experience, there is an opportunity out there for you.

For details of how to apply, please see our job advertisement.

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.

WRAP Encourages Kerbside Recycling

Amazing News:

This week WRAP has launched a report which outlines why co-mingled recycling streams are less effective than source segregation of materials in terms of both cost and quality output.

In a leaflet entitled 'Choosing The Right Recycling Collection System' WRAP outlined their opinion:

"kerbside sort systems offer reliable material quality and lower net costs for council taxpayers. They are also capable of capturing the same volume of material as co-mingled schemes."

"Because of our priority for quality materials as a way to improve resource efficiency, WRAP believes that kerbside sort collections should be preferred where they are practical and should be in the majority of local authority areas."

I'm delighted that WRAP has taken this stance as the lead body on developing and improving materials' recycling infrastructure and systems in the UK. Their latest report adds to the body of evidence supporting kerbside sort collection systems. At EMERGE we have known for a long time that source separated collection schemes such the ones we run for councils and for businesses in Greater Manchester produce a far higher quality of material with a massively reduced risk of contamination, as well as engaging people fare more effectively in the process of managing the waste they generate.

More information about how kerbside sort schemes work for councils can be found at the Campaign for Real Recycling website and hopefully this report will be taken into consideration by other councils when they decide how to implement and improve their own recycling schemes.

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.

Thank You Manchester! :)

Wow!

What a busy week I've had! Just about recovered from climbing up Scafell aside from a few niggling aches and a wee chest infection!

Last friday I was invited to the Inspiring Women Awards at the Midland Hotel, Manchester. Following a fabulous 3-course meal accompanied by sparkling wine I was presented with the award for 'Social Entrepreneur' which came as something of a shock especially considering the competition! A big thank you to the event organisers and especially to Kath Robinson who nominated me. It's really fantastic that the work everyone at EMERGE and I have done over the years has received recognition in the wider North West community. Not that we're resting on our laurels by any stretch - we've got big plans for expanding the 3Rs (waste reduction, reuse and recycling) and resource efficiency in Greater Manchester, to continue expanding upon the educational and community work we do and to grow as a social business as well.

I've got a mountain of bids, tenders and partnerships to contend with now but before I wade into it I 'd just like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for your support , we wouldn't make any progress without it .

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.

EMERGE is on Facebook! :)

Greetings,

I'm pleased to announce that as of today EMERGE Recycling is now officially on Facebook: Voila!

Please feel free to take a look at our page and become a fan if you'd like! We would also love for any of our customers to post reviews so that future customers can know what to expect from our services.

Onwards & upwards!

Lucy.