An iconic part of Liverpool will take pride of place among the attractions at this week’s BBC’s Big Weekend.
The city’s legendary purple bins are due to appear in a special activation space at the Sefton Park event, running from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 May.
“Purple Patch” is an interactive space where attendees can relax and charge their phones for free while learning about recycling across Liverpool.
Liverpool City Council commissioned local art company social enterprise Make CIC to create the space as part of a campaign to help tackle the city’s low recycling rates.
Make CIC has brought together local artists and makers to create a striking and sustainable display. Inside, visitors will find innovative charging points and a DJ deck crafted from repurposed purple bins, alongside seating made from reclaimed tyres and artwork on the walls fashioned entirely from residents’ recycled materials.
While inside, festival goers can take part in interactive quizzes to find out what changes they can make at home to improve recycling, live in a sustainable way, and save money in the long run.
Almost two thirds of rubbish thrown away in the city’s purple bins could be recycled, with 18.9 per cent belonging in the blue bin.
These figures include the likes of textiles and old clothes, which could be donated, cans and plastic bottles, which can be recycled, and food waste which can be composted.
The council sends approximately 135,000 tonnes of waste to incineration each year, with waste collection and disposal making up 9 per cent of the city’s CO2 emissions.
The Council is focusing on education and engagement around reducing, reusing and recycling rubbish as part of its new Recycling and Waste Strategy, which was introduced earlier this year.
The Strategy highlights that important changes to the production and collection of rubbish can only take place if organisations, businesses and residents work together. This includes making sure that all rubbish goes into the correct bin, as well as increasing the number of materials that can be recycled in the region with the introduction of food waste recycling by next April.
In a bid to create a circular economy, where items are reused over again instead of being thrown away, people are being encouraged to reduce the amount of rubbish they produce in the first place and find new ways to use old items, as demonstrated in the “Purple Patch”.
Following the end of the Big Weekend, the installation will be packed away and reused at future events.
People attending the event will be able to find Purple Patch in the main review field.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said: “Improving recycling rates is a priority for the Council, but that can only be done by speaking to residents and helping them to understand the bigger picture.
“We wanted to come up with a creative solution for everyday issues. Make CIC have taken that brief and produced something beyond our expectations. The local artists working on the project understand what’s important to Liverpool and Big Weekend attendees and have created a must-see area.
“Purple Patch isn’t just an educational space; it’s the perfect place to rest and recharge between sets or keep the party going with the DJ booth. While there, interactive spots will give you tips and tricks to help the environment or even save money when it comes to shopping.
“There are incredible artists performing at this year’s event, but Purple Patch is bound to be a real headline act.”
Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said: “Reducing the amount of rubbish we create, and increasing recycling in Liverpool is everyone’s responsibility.
“There are small changes we can all make which will make a huge, positive impact to sustainability across the city. Whether that’s reducing the number of single-use items when going shopping, donating old clothes to charity, or making sure your recycling is clean and going into the correct bin, every change makes a difference.
“Almost 20 per cent of the rubbish in our purple bin could be placed into the blue bin instead, and by engaging with residents through the Purple Patch, we hope these are the kinds of messages people take away with them.”
Kirsten Little, Make’s Co-founder and Artistic Director said: “It’s fantastic for Make to be at the heart of Radio 1’s Big Weekend with the Purple Patch.
“Being commissioned by Liverpool City Council to create this space has been a real privilege. What makes this project really special is the incredible talent of our maker network, who have poured their skills into transforming what was once considered waste into a vibrant and functional area for festival-goers.
“We’ve had amazing support from local businesses like Roberts Recycling for textiles, alongside recycled paints from Reciprocity, repurposed tyres and old tech destined for landfill, and literally tonnes of household recycling from Liverpool Residents.
“The Purple Patch is a testament to the power of creativity and collaboration in championing sustainability – something that’s deeply ingrained in the ethos of everything we do at Make.”
