Birmingham Recycling Champions: hidden treasure or publicised myth?

• Mar. 18 by Christopher Smith (0)

Confusion as to the status of Birmingham’s Recycling Champions continues, with Birmingham City Council remaining silent on the scheme.

The scheme, which seeks out residents for voluntary work spreading the recycling message, has been advertised since 2009. However, the scheme has had little reported success, and the Council is still looking for volunteers.

When questioned on recycling champions, community activist and chair of the Handsworth Central Neighbourhood Forum Waseem Zaffar said he was not aware of the scheme.

No meetings have been scheduled or advertised for the scheme, with little reference on Birmingham City Council’s website apart from the usual advertisement looking for more champions.

A Local Government Chronicle article claims that the scheme was instrumental in having paper in Birmingham transported to a local recycling mill, which created local jobs. However, there appears to be little evidence to connect the move to the recycling champions scheme, with no reports in the local media at the time.

The recycling champions scheme has been running across the country for a number of years, with mixed success. The most successful areas for the scheme have been Cheltenham and Southend, which both hold regular meetings for current and potential recycling champions.

The confusion surrounding Birmingham City Council’s Recycling Champions scheme comes as the successful EcoTeams initiative begins in Birmingham on 20^th March. With 1000 households in Nottingham already having taken part, the EcoTeams initiative could render the Recycling Champions scheme obsolete.

Birmingham Recycled has made multiple attempts to contact the council about recycling champions, but is still awaiting a response.