We’ve been working on some fantastic sustainability initiatives on our estates to make going green easier for residents. We’re always looking for ways to minimise our impact on the environment and reduce our carbon footprint in line with our corporate sustainability objective to be net zero by 2050.
Heavens Yard
At Kidbrooke we teamed up with Heavens Yard, which is part of Lavastar signage company that specialises in hoarding design.
Heavens Yard give a second life to PVC products such as advertising banners by upcycling them into new items like backpacks, windbreakers and deckchairs, which means they don’t go to landfill.
When our marketing banners at Kidbrooke are no longer needed we will give them to Heavens Yard to turn them into products they can then sell. We’re looking at using them on our other schemes as well including Heybourne Park, Aylesbury, Hackney Yard and Brentford Reach.
Traid - ‘Nothing wasted, everything gained’
We’ve been working with Traid to collect second-hand clothes by introducing carboard banks in Bolney Meadow Estate, Factory Quarter, Stratford Halo and Kidbrooke. We are also in the process of introducing bigger textile banks into some of our sites. The clothes get a second lease of life at Traid charity shops around London. It allows residents to get rid of their unwanted clothes in an ethical and sustainable way, having a positive impact on the environment while being able to clear clutter form their homes.
We've received lots of take up and great feedback - a resident from Factory Quarter said “I am thrilled with the news that Notting Hill Genesis has agreed to have a Traid donation point at FQ. A great initiative.”
Traid have put 218.5million garments back into use in total, saving 593,066 tonnes of CO2 and 99.8million m3 of water. Every time someone donates clothes to Traid, it stops items going to landfill while also raising funds to support global projects improving the fashion industry – from fields to factories to schools. Some of their successes include:
- Being instrumental in establishing the organic cotton sector in Benin and Ethiopia
- Funding scholarships in sewing and tailoring for waste pickers aged 14-17 that work on a dangerous landfill site in Matuail, Dhaka, Bangladesh, so they can build a safer life.
Bringing the garden to life at Manor Depot Place
Over at Manor Place Depot the team have been working to revitalise the communal garden. The project will bring energy, brightness and biodiversity for residents to benefit from.
The team held an engagement session with Walworth Garden and Just Ask to find out what residents wanted to see in the gardens and followed up with a survey for anyone who wasn’t able to come along.
We’re looking at hosting a planting day soon with residents and staff to show residents some basics of gardening. We’re also looking at getting some volunteers from the a nearby pub, Prince of Peckham. This will be the start of a bigger project to reform the gardens and improve biodiversity on the estate.
Just Ask are currently creating a plan for the planting on site and we hope to gain funding to keep the momentum going.
