The composting and recycling of cardboard was an important feature in many of the Green Business Network’s initial projects. With the introduction of The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997, the GBN recognised a need to deal with a large amount of cardboard packaging waste that was previously going to landfill. Trials into the shredding of cardboard and using this for animal bedding proved to be very successful, and it was found that once mixed with manure the cardboard bedding was ideal for composting. A composting operation at Huddersfield Community Farm was set up, which combined both bedding use, and composting in a specially constructed wormery. Vocational Enterprises, an organisation providing sheltered employment opportunities to disadvantaged groups agreed to house and staff a shredding machine and supplied the Community Farm with bedding.
There were found to be great benefits to the scheme, principally reducing the volumes of waste going to landfill and saving money for both local businesses and Huddersfield Community Farm. The revenue generated from the sale of waste derived products (compost, plant-food, and worms to local anglers) was another benefit of the scheme.
The scheme was subsequently replicated and expanded at the ABLE (Cardboard to Caviar) Project, where the worms are then used to feed Sturgeon fish, and at the Ponderosa Rural Therapeutic Centre, where the compost is used to grow food for the trainees lunch. (For further information on both these schemes please see the GBN Projects page).
Pennine Magpie also collects waste cardboard from organisations in Calderdale on behalf of the GBN. The cardboard is shredded by trainees and sold to local farms. Pennine Magpie also ran a carpet tile recycling project with help from the GBN. Further information about the GBN’s association with Pennine Magpie can be seen on the Grants for Businesses page.
A case study has been developed by the University of Leeds to instruct students in Enterprising Intrapreneurship and to encourage lateral and creative thinking around a series of projects. Please visit: www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/courses/other/casestudies/
