Third generation waste minimisation clubs: a case study of low cost clubs from Northamptonshire, UK

The Waste Strategy 2000 (England and Wales) acknowledged that waste minimisation clubs had a major role to play in introducing sustainable wastes management. However, a key criticism of many ‘First Generation’ demonstration clubs had been that although realizing significant savings, they had done so with substantial financial support, at times up to £1 million. Consequently, to justify this investment by achieving large savings whole business sectors, and especially smaller companies with less potential to make large savings, had been excluded. This strategy had limited the opportunity to spread the positive message of waste minimisation and resource efficiency to key areas of local communities. Given the contribution of waste minimisation to the deliverance of many aspects of sustainable development, itself a key focus of UK Environmental Legislation, this approach was short sighted. Second Generation clubs, such as the Northamptonshire Resource Efficiency Project which utilised a ‘Facilitated Self-Help’ approach had improved the cost effectiveness of clubs, but significant investment was still required. Therefore, to remedy the situation, two clubs in Northamptonshire were developed with minimal investment, relying heavily on the formation of key local partnerships. These clubs, described as ‘Third Generation’ clubs, highlighted that low cost does not mean low quality, achieving savings of over £250,000 for an investment of £13,000 each. This ranks these clubs among the most cost effective run to date and has allowed the model developed to be a major tool for the introduction of sustainable wastes management via staff training and the dissemination of waste minimisation issues into the wider business community.