More than 80 residents from the New Forest gathered in Dibden Purlieu on Tuesday 9 May 2006 to celebrate the launch of an exciting new project which aims to tackle the amount of rubbish we throw away.
The 'Small Changes... Big Difference' project is about making small changes to our lifestyles which add up to a big difference. Simple things such as composting vegetable peelings and garden cuttings and using energy efficient light bulbs may seem like small changes, but when combined with everyone else's efforts, really will make a difference.
On average, a staggering £424 worth of food is thrown away by each person in the UK every year, simply because it went off or exceeded its sell by date. This contributes to the 37% of rubbish which ends up in people's bins which could be composted instead. Dick and Brigit Strawbridge from the BBC2 series It's Not Easy Being Green came along to share their experiences and instil their enthusiasm in those residents taking part. Those residents taking part will be keeping track of the amount of rubbish they throw away each week so we can measure the impact of the changes they are making.
This project is funded by Defra and is one of a handful taking place throughout the country which are aiming to challenge the amount of rubbish we throw away. This initial pilot in Hampshire is being carried out with retired residents from the University of the Third Age (U3A) groups in Totton, Hythe, Marchwood and Lymington.
This initial pilot is the first of five which will be focusing on key life changing events such as moving house or having children, giving people helpful advice on making better choices in their lifestyles to reduce their waste.
