A pioneering recycling partnership has been hailed as a fantastic example to the rest of Wales by a Welsh Assembly Government Minister.
Housing association Cartrefi Conwy, main contractor G Purchase Ltd and social enterprise co-operative Crest have teamed up to eliminate waste from the association’s mammoth £30 million renovation of its 3,750 homes in Conwy county.
And a staggering 90 per cent of the material taken from those homes as new kitchens, bathrooms, doors and windows are fitted is now being re-used or recycled.
Jocelyn Davies AM, the Welsh Assembly Government’s Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, visited Crest’s Llandudno Junction base to see for herself how the award-winning scheme is working.
She said: “I am very impressed. I could see as soon as I came in that this was something special and I wasn’t disappointed, it’s fantastic.
“It has been a real eye-opener and shown me just what can be achieved by taking an innovative approach to dealing with an age-old problem. You’re saving the planet here.
“It’s ticking all the boxes. It not only reduces the amount of waste created but the money generated by selling on materials that would otherwise go to landfill is funding job and training opportunities as well as providing the local community with affordable materials to improve their homes and helping small local businesses.
“In reaching the Welsh Housing Quality Standards the organisation is also ensuring there is minimal waste and that’s very encouraging and it would be good if others followed the same pattern.
“It’s good that Cartrefi used an existing organisation that is grounded in the community because that’s what the housing stock transfers are intended to achieve. It’s an excellent example of partnership working
Ms Davies was shown round Crest’s premises by Managing Director Sharon Jones and by Cartrefi Conwy Chief Executive Andrew Bowden.
Their partnership scooped two major awards last year, the honour for Innovation at the Wales Recycling Awards in Cardiff and the Waste Initiative Award at the UK Sustainable Housing Awards held at London’s Hilton Hotel.
Andrew Bowden said: “We began working with Crest in autumn 2009 and together we have blown the Welsh Assembly Government targets for recycling out of the water.
“More than 90 per cent of everything coming out of properties which are part of the internal renovation programme is being re-used or recycled.
“It has shown how housing can regenerate an area because through working with Crest 200 work placements have been created and they have virtually become a sub-contractor to the main contractor.”
Sharon Jones added: “We are working with different categories of people from long-term, unemployed to people on unpaid work and we’re giving them a range of experience from going out on the vans to collect material to in the workshop.
“Over 200 training places have been created on the programme and we have a 70 per cent success rate in getting people into real employment and G Purchase have employed a number of people themselves, they’ve come to us first when there are vacancies and that’s been a very positive spin-off.”
Crest sells on items like kitchen units, bathroom suites, tiles, timber, doors and other fittings and recycles what can’t be re-used and the money raised funds the employment and training schemes which includes tutoring and mentoring for the unemployed.
Owen Veldhuizen, Cartrefi Conwy’s Senior Tenant Engagement Officer, said: “We have an ongoing relationship with Crest and they are very professional and able to do things we couldn’t do ourselves.
“It’s a growing relationship and we’re always looking to fit in with them because it works so well.”
