Case Study 1

Case Study 1 – Building a Community Recycling Partnership

Client – London Borough of Tower Hamlets

 

Project – Initiating and Developing Doorstep Collection Service

Tower Block in Tower Hamlets

Overview: A new recycling organisation, developed by Les Moore, was invited to develop and pilot a doorstep recycling service for exemplar blocks on estate in Tower Hamlets. Following the successful trial, Les Moore helped develop a consortium of Third Sector groups to form a company to roll-out the programme throughout the borough by setting up the Tower Hamlets Community Recycling Consortium Ltd. Reports on the lessons learned and the results of the trial were published to the waste industry in 2004 (CIWEM Journal) following presentations at leading waste conferences.

Specific Challenges

The specific challenges included:

  • Engaging residents
  • Developing and maintaining professional standards
  • Vested interests

Lessons Learnt

The lessons learned included:

·        Timescales – things take longer!

·        Partnership building – cannot be avoided

·        Agreeing on what has been agreed – clarity must be sought at all times

·        Politics – more serious the closer to the ground!!

Reference – London Borough of Tower Hamlets (on request) and Business Eco-logic.