Two Merseyside farms are attracting international attention after launching a reuse and recycling project to save hundreds of tonnes of waste wood from landfill.
The project at Larkin’s Farm and Home Farm in Croxteth is transforming used furniture and garden fences from around Merseyside into sawdust for animal bedding, wood chippings for paths, bird boxes and railings at the popular attractions.
The Neighbourhood Services Company project, funded by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund, has been made a European demonstration project and attracted interest from Spain.
Alan Johnson of the Neighbourhood Services Company (NsC) said: “We employ people of all ages to reuse and recycle the wood we receive and would-be social entrepreneurs from Barcelona came over to see what they could learn about creating sustainable youth employment from similar schemes in their own city.”
The project, which received £17,500 from MRWA’s community fund, also aims to promote reuse and recycling closer to home by directly targeting visitors to both farm attractions as well as local schools and people with learning difficulties – as well as saving 310 tonnes of waste material from landfill.
MRWA chairperson Councillor Graham Morgan said: “Community Fund investments are never simply about reducing environmental impact. There’s always a host of other benefits that ripple out and this is a great example of that.
“It’s great to have international acknowledgement of the project’s Merseyside success.”
The Neighbourhood Services Company has previously hosted visits from Lithuanian and Romanian delegations interested in transforming recycling projects into sustainable new businesses.
