Garden Organic is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Staffordshire County Council to help reduce the county's waste.

Waste Savvy Staffs is a new campaign to encourage residents to reduce, reuse and recycle more across Staffordshire. To reach as many people as possible we are looking for the help of volunteers to spread the message and encourage local communities to waste less.

Volunteers will be provided with free training on recycling, food waste reduction and composting in particular, but will also be made aware of other sustainable waste schemes like repair cafes. We will also be working towards setting up community fridges in the county to encourage the sharing of unwanted or surplus food and drink.

Volunteers do not need to have had any prior experience of waste or public engagement, only need to commit to a minimum of 30 hours of volunteering over the year and can be reimbursed for any travel costs. The only requirements are that individuals live in, or near, Staffordshire, are comfortable talking to people and are passionate about supporting their community to reduce the impact that poorly disposed waste has on our environment.

Most of the volunteer activity will be engaging with the public at events across Staffordshire (e.g. countryside shows, garden/flower festivals, sustainability events and fun days), as well as delivering talks and workshops to schools and community groups. While current restrictions are in place, much of this work will be directed towards engagement via social media and video conferencing with an aim to returning to more face-to-face engagement in future months. The volunteer can decide which of these events they wish to undertake, as well as finding their own local events or projects.

If you have an interest in sustainable waste management and enjoy sharing your knowledge with others this is the volunteering opportunity for you!

If you would like to know more about volunteering for this campaign, please contact: rwhitehouse@gardenorganic.co.uk

Let’s work together to make Staffordshire Waste Savvy.