The Environmental Stewardship Project meant that the council worked with eight other employers including some in Northern France to use energy and water more efficiently and to reduce rubbish. This was better for the environment and saved money.
The initiatives they carried out included:
- reducing water usage by installing water efficient taps, toilets and urinal controls
- cutting down the amount of waste sent to landfill by reducing, re-using and recycling more rubbish. East Sussex County Council, for example, reduced the amount of rubbish going to landfill from County Hall by 11per cent in four months.
- reducing the need to travel by installing video conferencing equipment in key county council buildings.
Working with the environmental charity Global Action Plan, the county council has also helped local organisations, schools and households to reduce their impact on the environment, such as achieving a 36 per cent reduction in rubbish going to landfill from households.
"The county council is committed to doing all what it can to get the messages out to the public and to other large employers that everyone must take action to protect the environment. It is vital that we all take action to reduce the amount of water and energy we use, and to recycle as much of our waste as possible,” said Councillor Matthew Lock, lead member for transport and environment.
"The Stewardship project has been an excellent partnership which has made a significant positive impact both in this county and across the English Channel,” he said.
To acknowledge the successes of the two year project, a final conference for all those involved will be held on Thursday March 3 at the TG Centre in Eastbourne between 11am and 3.15pm.
Notes to editors
You are welcome to send a reporter/photographer to the event.
- Project partners with the county council are: Kent County Council, Medway Council, Hastings Borough Council, Region Nord Pas De Calais, East kent Hospitals NHS Trust, Dunkerque Grand Littoral, Global Action Plan and Business Eco Logic.
- Funding for the two year project has come from the European Interreg IIIA programme.
Reference:
05/091/JW
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