Could you go 'zero waste' for a fortnight?

Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) is calling for businesses in the city to take part in a zero waste fortnight challenge.

The challenge is being held as part of Peterborough’s designation as one of the government’s six Zero Waste Places in October last year. These six places will go as far as possible in reducing the environmental impact of waste and their results will be used to help ‘green’ other areas in the UK.

Ian Tennant is project coordinator from PECT, he explains, “The Zero Waste Places project in Peterborough is already well underway. The idea of the scheme is to test different methods of reducing waste and see how much we can realistically reduce.

“As part of this we are holding a special zero waste fortnight challenge for businesses. Organisations can do their two weeks any time between January and March 2009. The challenge will allow people to test what it is really like to go zero waste in the workplace. We are calling for more organisations to take part in this challenge.”

Businesses that take part in the zero waste fortnight challenge will make a concerted effort, across the organisation to make sure all resources leaving their building are either recycled, reused or composted with absolutely nothing going to landfill. For example this, could involve staff carefully choosing where they shop for their lunch as a large proportion of non-recyclable waste is associated with food packaging.

Greater Peterborough Partnership, Scott Wilson, Anne Corder Recruitment and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire are amongst the organisations who have already signed up to take part.

The Zero Waste Places project in Peterborough has already achieved considerable success including reducing the waste produced from the re-development of Cathedral Square. PECT is working closely with Opportunity Peterborough and developer Osborne’s to minimise waste, re-home redundant paving slabs for use in community projects, and exploit opportunities for waste prevention in the supply chain. For example, the developer is demanding that new paving slabs are delivered with minimal packaging using materials that can be composted or recycled.

A set of guidelines is available to help any organisation wishing to take part in the fortnight challenge. If you would like to take part contact Ian Tennant, ian.tennant@pect.net, 01733 569875.