What could you do?

For your community to become more sustainable, it is important to engage and involve as many members of your community as possible in planning what you want to do in your local area.

These are some ideas of ways you could engage with others in your community to work together to become a more sustainable village or town:

• Start a community allotment – grow your own fruit and vegetables
• Organise regular litter pick ups to tidy areas or to improve and maintain local wildlife areas
• Swap shops to minimise waste – organise a fun event and swap your unwanted clothing items, furniture, bric-a-brac etc.
• Buy local
• Set up a fuel club to save on energy bills
• Set up a lift sharing club to reduce carbon emissions
• Community composting
• Run activities to engage the wider community, for example including local schools and young people, or link to other village or town events
• Allocating responsibilities and duties to specific members of the community and/or appointing wardens
• Adopt a recycling site - help to keep the area clean and tidy, report any problems, notify the council if the recycling bins are full and help to raise awareness. The group will also receive a one-off payment to be used for the benefit of the local community.
• Home energy efficiency meetings – hold public meetings and arrange for the council’s home energy advisor to come along
• Consider whether you are able to invest in renewable energy technology for your community hall
• Provide public information by using plaques, notice board information, interpretation boards and signed walks.

You can also make simple changes to your own day-to-day life.

• Use a bike, walk, or take a bus instead of driving
• Install a water butt to water plants and wash the car.
• Buy local or grow your own fruit and vegetables anywhere you can - gardens, window sills, balconies, old baskets
• Have separate bins at home and work for easy and simple recycling
• Cook in bulk to save money, time and energy
• Have a clear-out and help a good cause by giving your unwanted items to charity/swap shops
• Get a free Home Energy Check with Energy Saving Trust (0300 123 1234) – could save you £££’s

Many people and communities across the county have developed their own pioneering ways to protect the environment and save resources. Many of these projects are listed in our Community Directory.