Bexley Environmental Services
Overview
The London Borough of Bexley’s Environmental Services Team has worked in partnership with Cory for a number of years now. Both organisations work on a variety of projects linked to waste minimisation and are committed to cutting waste, boosting recycling, reducing the environmental impact of waste management, making best use of waste sites and delivering circular economy initiatives locally.
Cory partnership
Cory and the London Borough of Bexley have hosted a series of events and activities that support the reduction of waste, the reuse of items and an increase in recycling. Cory also currently funds a three-year, part-time schools waste education officer role (SWAC). The SWAC officer visits all the schools in the borough teaching children about sustainability and the waste hierarchy, with over 25 different classroom/outdoor activities.
Cory has supported seven projects during 2023/24. Perhaps the most significant has been the Bexley Ecofestival in September 2024, a free family event showcasing Health, Wellbeing and the Environment.
Earlier in 2024, Cory supported The Earth Summit which provides a platform for secondary school students to participate in an ecofriendly fashion show. The show was designed to demonstrate how events can be sustainable, with students involved in a variety of activities including creating music using recycled instruments; creating seasonal/sustainable canapes and learning what makes a good food choice for health and the environment; social media promotion; filming the event; and creating upcycled fashion garments for the show. Feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive.
Finally, Cory has designed and run, in partnership with the Council, a Reuse and Refurbishment Level 2 course, providing learners with knowledge on topics such as the waste hierarchy, waste reduction, health and safety, and the practical skills needed when upcycling furniture to give it a new lease of life. Following the successful delivery of the first course, we already have plans to deliver a second. This project has been shortlisted for four different national awards and was created in conjunction with the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).
End result
The input from Cory in terms of practical and financial support has allowed the Council to reach many more residents through larger organised events. These events reached over 1,000 residents over the last year with an additional 2,000 footfall expected at the Bexley Ecofestival. All the events are run as a joint team effort which we are proud to be a part of. Cory’s funding of the SWAC Officer has also enabled over 10,000 pupils in Bexley to have had an assembly or classroom activity from our SWAC officer in the last year.
In the future we plan to continue to work together in partnership with Cory to run successful campaigns and create new ways to engage with Bexley residents.
“Working in partnership with Cory has provided a unique opportunity to engage with Bexley residents through school education as well as the delivery of numerous workshops and events. Cory provided real personable support and expertise as well as funding towards a variety of activities.
“Our experience with Cory has superseded our expectations and we are very grateful to have worked in partnership with them for over five years. They are committed to engaging with local residents and making their experience with waste related matters a positive one.”