On June 22nd this year, Transition Belper Zero Waste Group held it’s first Zero Waste Award ceremony.  This event was about celebrating local businesses that have signed up to the new Awards Scheme – aimed at bringing together local businesses working towards a more sustainable future through better eco-practises.  Awards were given to fifteen local groups that have joined the initiative, by completing an audit and stating their commitment to work towards a greener future.

Transition Belper’s Zero Waste Group formed during the Community Conversation at Strutt’s back in October 2021.  Since then, they’ve been working on ways to bring businesses and local groups on board to make Belper a more sustainable place to live, work and play.  The goal is to make Belper the first Zero Waste town in Derbyshire.  Signing up to the Award scheme is the first step towards reducing our impact on the planet, in the midst of the climate crisis.  The Zero Waste scheme aims to help local businesses share their best practices for reducing waste, but also to look at ways that they can achieve cost savings through the purchase of common products and contracts for services together.

The businesses that have signed up include not just restaurants, but the local cinema, shops and even a school.  We are proud to tell you the groups taking part so far are (in no particular order): Bluebird Care Agency, Ritz Cinema, Vegan Revelation, The Cabin, Dormouse Books, Long Row Primary School, Artisan Bean, Earthed Up!, Blooming Cakes, Eartharmony, The Find, Think Twice, Sankara Imports, Raven at the 1924, and Reunion Deli.

Reducing our impact on the planet is about everyone taking small steps, where they can – together we can make a big difference.

Next steps for the group are to approach the Take-Aways and Public Houses in Belper, keep working with the businesses that have signed up already and follow up on initiatives that the people running these ask us to do.  (These may include organising bulk orders of sustainable products to be delivered to a central place in Belper, which would cut down on vehicle emissions in Belper and reduce costs to the businesses).  Long Row and Heage School have signed up to the Zero Waste scheme but we now have to approach the other schools in Belper.

The next Zero Waste Awards scheme will be in October this year. 

By Kendal Greaves and Mary Dwyer