The three 'R's are at the heart of the Waste and Recycling group's aims. These are: REDUCE the amount we consume, REUSE things wherever possible, and then RECYCLE as much as we can. With this in mind we can work towards a zero waste community.

These aims will only be realised as we engage and involve the local community. Commitment to the three 'R's may necessitate a change in behaviour and attitude - and this takes time. The group’s members, as committed reusers and recyclers, can lead by example.

An underlying message should be that ‘every little helps’, and the group should encourage everyone to do their bit, however small this may be to begin with.


Working within Chew Magna and the surrounding villages in the Chew Valley, the recycling group’s objectives are:

• To raise awareness of the environmental & financial costs related to waste
• Initiate new waste reduction schemes within our community
• Develop and deliver waste reduction projects and schemes
• Work in partnership with B&NES Council where appropriate
• Provide facilities to make reuse and recycling easier
• To help to affect changes in behaviour where this is necessary (and possible)

In BaNES each household creates over a tonne of waste a year which costs in the region of £100 to dispose of, either to be recycled or landfilled. This group aims to look at:

• Auditing existing waste and recycling activities within the parish, comparing how we perform against other parishes.
• Promoting and improving waste and recycling within the parish.
• Providing the community with information to make recycling and waste prevention easy.