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Win on Waste Rewards Dedicated Local Recyclers

Poole-based waste and recycling charity, Win on Waste, welcomed local recyclers to a ceremony on 27th September to reward those who go the extra mile for recycling and sustainability in their communities.

Win on Waste Recycling Award Winners with Cllr Vivienne Charrett, Mayor of Christchurch

Organisations and individuals were nominated by members of the public for their efforts in sustainability and recycling across Dorset, and the Awards were presented by Christchurch Mayor, Councillor Vivienne Charrett.

Stacey Woods, Win on Waste Business Manager, said ‘Our own work in waste and recycling has shown us that there are some brilliant people and organisations quietly getting on with promoting recycling and sustainability across Dorset and we were delighted to be able to reward them.’

Nominations were received across five categories, with winners including Circular 11 – a Christchurch-based start up working in waste plastic, Dave Taylor from Weymouth and Portland Marine Litter Project and the Card Makers for Sudan project based in Colehill.

Nominees and Winners

Adult Recycler

    Nominees:

    Winner: Mat Smith

    A team of recyclers from a private/statutory/voluntary organisation (where its main business is recycling)

      Nominees:

      Winner: Wimborne War on Waste

      A team of recycling volunteers (a group of individuals who come together to recycle)

      Nominees:

      Winner:

      St Michael’s Church – Card makers for Sudan

      A private/statutory/voluntary organisation whose employees recycle (but not where its main business is recycling)

        Nominees:

        Winner:

        Wimborne Methodist Church Coffee Mornings

        Number One Recycler

        Nominees:

        Winner:

        Dave Taylor

        About Win on Waste:

        Win on Waste has been working in waste and recycling for over 10 years, collecting a range of hard-to-recycle household waste via face-to-face, community-based sessions, and diverting it towards good causes who can use it for their fundraising or project work. It is very often the first step for households on a journey towards sustainability, and the welcome people receive from our volunteers, and the knowledge that they share at our sessions can really help people embrace sustainability and feel that they are not alone in doing their bit for the planet.

        Last year, our volunteer teams across 11 areas of Dorset dealt with 3 tonnes of hard-to-recycle waste and welcomed 4000 households to our sessions – we were also awarded the Litter-free Dorset Sustainable Business Award. Our volunteer teams were shortlisted for the BBC Make A Difference Awards 2025.

        Win on Waste Sessions in October 2025

        All of our sessions are up and running this month – details below and on the linked pages.

        • 4th October
        • Christchurch, Druitt Hall – 10.00-11.30
        • Hamworthy Library – 10.00-12.30
        • Merley, Lantern Church Hub – 10.15-11.30
        • 11th October
        • Ashley Road, Makkah Foods –10.30-12.00
        • Lytchett Matravers, The Scout Hut – 10.00-11.30
        • Wimborne, Methodist Church Hall – 10.30-12.00 – don’t forget to head over to the Minster Green for the Wimborne Green Festival!
        • 18th October
        • Corfe Mullen, St Nicholas’ Church – 10.30-11.30
        • Southbourne, Immanuel Church – 10.30-11.30
        • Poole, The Spire – 10.30-12.00
        • 25th October
        • Kinson Library – 10.30-11.30
        • Oakdale Library – 10.30-11.30

        How was Secondhand September for you?

        Hopefully you noticed it was Secondhand September. It’s lovely to see so many people celebrating secondhand in September.  Confession I’m a secondhand kind of girl, virtually my entire wardrobe is either second hand or things I bought before 2020 (which is when I started my only buying second hand clothes challenge). 

        I guess for me the next obvious target would always be books, I’ve always been a bit of a secondhand book person (anyone remember the ‘Book Church’ on Ashley Road in Boscombe) and now I am really good about nearly always only buying secondhand books (although it can be hard –  if anyone has a copy of Wisteria by Adalyn Grace they no longer want!) I’m also passing them on again once I’ve read them, 95% of books I read I’m not going to read again.

        Originally launched by Oxfam to put the spotlight on fast fashion, Secondhand September has grown and now encourages sustainable choices not just in clothing, but in all aspects of consumer life.

        Secondhand September invited us to rethink how we shop for all sorts of different items from home goods to electronics, furniture to toys and more. There are all sorts of places to look for a preloved gem from charity shops (my personal go-to) to online marketplaces and community swaps.  Buying preloved helps us to reduce waste, save money, and lower the carbon footprint of manufacturing and shipping new products.

        I’m not perfect (although don’t tell my children that!) not everything I buy is secondhand but it is now my first choice to check if I can get something secondhand – whether that’s a carpet cleaner (yes I did) or craft materials (hello Dorset Scrapstore).  It sometime takes a little bit more time but it gives you a bigger thrill when you get what you want.

        Every secondhand choice contributes to a more sustainable, circular economy.   What’s your go to for secondhand purchases? And is there anything you struggle with?

        Win on Waste Sessions in September 2025

        All of our sessions are up and running this month – details below and on the linked pages.

        How to fit tiny bits of volunteering into your everyday life or have you heard about micro volunteering?

        Image of a clock with activities.

        Let’s be honest the idea of volunteering is great – the satisfaction of helping others and supporting a cause you care about  (and the endorphins can even give you a helper’s high) – but time is a big issue for most of us.  Fitting another thing into an already busy week can seem impossible so that’s why the idea of micro volunteering is such a good idea.  For lots of people committing to a day or half a day of volunteering a week just isn’t an option.

        Micro volunteering is just what it sounds like a short burst of feel good volunteering.

        Fortunately for you (and us) at Win on Waste our activities are ideal for people looking to do some good but in a limited time frame.

        At the most if you volunteer for a full session you are looking at a maximum of 3 hours one Saturday a month, (assuming a 2 hour session with set up and tidy up) and not all sessions are 2 hours long.

        However if this still a step too far for you at the minute – how about 30 mins – if you could come along at the end of a session you could help bag up and weigh items, or help set up at the beginning. 

        Most of our sessions are in central locations so you could combine your volunteering with another Saturday morning chore or even something more fun! Whatever your Saturday plans we’ve got a session that will fit in.

        For example, if you were helping at Poole – you could drop off your own collected items, help out for half an hour and meet a friend for lunch in The Spire café, or go on a thrifting session (I found the almost most perfect dress in a charity shop in Poole the other day – almost in that it was a size too small!)

        Our Hamworthy, Kinson and Oakdale sessions are at the local library – you could pick up some new library books, drop off your own collected items and help out for half an hour (and if you don’t have a library card why not – free books what’s not to love?!)

        If you need to do shopping on a Saturday morning then our Parkstone session is just in the right place, drop off your own collected items, help out for half an hour, then do your shopping.

        Fancy a bit of lunch after then do you know how many restaurants and cafes there are near to our Southbourne session, no neither do we – there were too many to count! I’m not making any recommendations as I haven’t tried them all yet but I’m always up for a challenge. So how about but how about dropping off your own collected items, helping for half an hour, then taking a walk through Southbourne for a bit too eat!

        Our Christchurch session is just off the High Street, so lots of options, but how about dropping off your own collected items, helping for half an hour, then taking a walk through the gardens and down to the Quay.

        In Corfe Mullen – the session is on at St Nicholas’ Church, so you could drop off your own collected items, help for half an hour then enjoy a coffee (or similar) in the café – meet a friend or just take a book and give yourself a half hour break (GASP!)

        If you need to get your steps in at our Lytchett Matravers session – you could off your own collected items, help for half an hour, then take a walk – the WI have some lovely ideas – you could start with a couple of laps of the rec and build up – there’s even one that’s over 13 miles (which may not be best for a Saturday lunchtime stroll!)

        Sustainable Shopping for University

        This time of year with young people expectantly waiting for exam results lots of them are preparing for going away to university and moving away from home for the first time.  The list of things they might need seems never ending and with lots of other expenses and things to think about it can be daunting.

        But never fear if you have a young person of to uni (or you are a young person off to uni) this year, here are my top tips for preparing for a less expensive, less wasteful university experience:

        Make a list (doesn’t every big life event need a list) and if you can get advice from others, this list from UCAS is quite good – although skip the TV (if you only watch programmes on a laptop that isn’t plugged into the wall you are covered by your parents TV licence). 

        Make sure your list is realistic – what do you like to cook/drink etc will effect what you need to get and rooms are (generally) small.  Honestly an ironing board is not something most people will need (yes I have heard of people taking ironing boards).  Think of dual purpose items a large reusable shopping bag works as a laundry basket and takes up way less space. 

        Think about what you already have – lots of us have spare towels and bedding that our young people can take with them.

        What do you really need to buy new – things like duvets and pillows might be on this list

        Check out your local car boot sale – trust me you will be able to pick up a lot of things this way – last year we bought a stack of plates/bowls for £5.  Particularly good for picking up individual items – why buy a pack of 4 glasses if you only need one or two.  One thing though pick up saucepans etc and check them carefully – too heavy or wobbly handles are not a good thing.

        Ditto for checking out your local charity shops – I have one local to me who often have ‘new’ kitchen items which was fantastic for stocking up.

        With both car boot and charity shops start early though you probably won’t get everything the first time you look.

        Don’t bother with lots of cleaning stuff – a white vinegar spray and a few reusable cleaning cloths will work fine.

        Think about how you are getting stuff there and getting it back.

        Lastly and not related to shopping – if you haven’t already done so teach them (or find someone to show you) some basic cooking and cleaning skills – if nothing else the people they/you share with will appreciate it.

        Win on Waste Sessions in August 2025

        9 of our sessions are up and running this month, as some of our teams take a well-deserved break for the summer – details below and on the linked pages.

        As previously advised, the plastic lunchbox/bottle programme, and the household cleaning programme have now sadly closed, so we are unable to take this waste any longer.

        Win on Waste Sessions in July 2025

        All of our sessions are up and running this month – details below and on the linked pages.

        As previously advised, the plastic lunchbox/bottle programme has now sadly closed, so we are unable to take this waste any longer.

        This will also be the final month for cleaning/laundry packaging across all sessions – apologies for any inconvenience.

        Win on Waste Recycling Awards 2025 – Now Open for Nominations

        Win on Waste is excited to announce that nominations are now open for Dorset’s top recyclers in 2025!

        After our successful event in 2023, which also celebrated our 10th Birthday, this year we will be rewarding local recyclers across seven categories at an event on 27th September. This year’s event coincides with #RecycleWeek, a national initiative to encourage people to increase and improve their recycling, at home or at work.

        It is so important to recognise dedicated recyclers who are giving so much of their time to help the environment and also encourage others to refuse, reuse and recycle – we know that there are so many incredible local people making a difference, so now it’s your turn to nominate them!

        The standard of nominations at the previous event was incredibly high, and we’ve been amazed and, in many cases, humbled when we’ve seen exactly how much they’ve achieved, and how much they are valued by their communities.

        So, talking of nomination forms, we’d love to see lots for the Recycling Awards this year.

        These are the categories:

        1. Adult recycler (18+)
        2. A team of recyclers from a private/statutory/voluntary organisation (where its main business is recycling)
        3. A team of recycling volunteers (a group of individuals who come together to recycle)
        4. The No 1 recycler (a person who has really gone the extra mile)
        5. Young recycler (age 17 and under)
        6. A private/statutory/voluntary organisation whose employees recycle (but not where its main business is recycling)
        7. School or college

        To nominate, download our nomination form (in Word or PDF format), complete and either email or post it to us by the closing date of Sunday 10th August. Please do check with the nominee before you submit a nomination – we will require some contact information, so must be sure that they are happy for you to give it.

        We’re really looking forward to reading all about the recycling action your nominee is taking to help make the environment, and especially their local area, the bit better!

        Download the Nomination Form:

        Microsoft Word

        PDF Version

        Win on Waste Sessions in June 2025

        10 of our sessions are up and running this month – details below and on the linked pages.

        As previously advised, the plastic lunchbox/bottle programme has now sadly closed, so we are unable to take this waste any longer.