Corby Waste Not: an appraisal of the UK's largest holistic waste minimisation project

The UK Sustainable Development Strategy requires that society makes prudent use of resources so as to protect the environment and at the same time maintain high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. Waste minimisation projects/clubs have been a central feature of the UK programme to encourage the adoption of more sustainable practice by industry. More recently, it has been recognised that there is a requirement to link such industrial projects with those that encourage the general public to adopt more sustainable practice. A large and dynamic partnership of local and regional players has delivered a programme of some 17 waste minimisation/resource efficiency projects in Northamptonshire, a County in the East Midlands of England, since 1997. The projects have delivered impressive financial savings and training to over 300 companies, mostly SMEs. The Corby Waste Not (CWN) was a project, based within Corby Borough, Northamptonshire, which has the highest degree of deprivation in the County. It was a holistic waste minimisation project in that it initiated and integrated activities across the whole spectrum of the community. CWN was funded by some £ 148 380 of external funds and was managed by an extensive partnership that included all key local and regional organisations. Project outcomes were impressive by UK standards, the industrial/commercial developments alone resulted in savings greater than £ 250 000 for an expenditure of £ 35 000, making it one of the most cost-effective in the UK. Using theories of planed behaviour, the CWN management team introduced a number of other activities that have resulted in clear evidence of a marked improvement in relation to waste issues by the community.