Our use (and waste) of resources is causing serious environmental problems - from biodiversity depletion, water shortages, global warming to land litter and ocean plastic. Environmental organisation Transition Oundle has recently launched a project named Oundle Waste Less (OWL) to provide some local solutions to these global issues.
OWL, which has been awarded National Lottery and East Northants Resource Management Facility Funding, aims to encourage people to make simple changes to how they use goods to reduce unnecessary waste. The project activities already underway include:
Refill Revolution Oundle
Founded in Market Harborough, Refill Revolution is a packagingfree shop where customers use their own containers to stock up on dried foods, spices, tea, coffee, hair care, body wash and household cleaning liquids as well as buy other reusable, environmentally friendly household items. Refill Revolution Oundle has proved to be very successful with customers delighted to find a shop which ‘walks the walk’ – each product has been carefully sourced and its environmental credentials checked out. Initially a ‘pop up’, Refill Revolution will be opening weekly from September at Oundle Wharf, beside the Nene Valley Brewery. Full details are available on the @RefillRevolutionOundle facebook page or visiting www.refillrevolution.co.uk
Repair Cafés
Repair Cafés are based on a simple idea: people bring in their broken or damaged items and a team of skilled, voluntary repairers do their best to mend them. The owner has the chance to watch and learn from the process whilst enjoying a cup of tea and maybe a slice of cake.
The first Repair Café in July was very well attended with all sorts of things brought in, from a torn pair of trousers, to a skull-shaped Bluetooth speaker, a broken stool, a bike whose brakes needed replacing, a favourite stuffed toy with a split seam, a 45 year old transistor radio, a beautiful pair of antique lamps and much else. The blade sharpener was also kept constantly busy! The Repair Café team will be back in action on Saturday 9th November, at Fletton House, off Glapthorn Road in Oundle.
Those with items to be repaired should book them in by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. uk or try one of the local repair shops listed on the OWL facebook and website pages.
Refill East Northants Around 7.7 billion plastic water bottles are bought across the UK each year; Refill East Northants, as part of the national Refill Scheme, aims to reduce that. Cafés, pubs, shops, museums, visitor centres and others throughout the local area are now offering free water bottle refills for customers and non-customers alike, which makes drinking ‘on the go’ as easy, convenient and cheap as possible. Users should look for the sticker in venues’ windows, download the Refill app or check the refill.org.uk website to see which venues are kindly offering this service, and log their refill, which will generate a 13p donation for the charity which runs the project. There are already 15 venues signed up in the local area, stretching from Kings Cliffe to Thrapston; please use them and bring a bottle!
The OWL Events
From September, the OWL project will be arranging a series of environmentally themed talks, films & events which cover subjects such as electric vehicles, switching to renewable energy, food production and how our choices affect the environment, and how green business is better business. The series will start on Thursday 3rd October at 7.30pm with ‘Electric vehicles: when is the right time to plug in?’, a discussion with Tim Pollard, Editorial Director of Bauer Media’s digital motoring portfolio including CAR magazine, followed by ‘Are we winning the war on waste and recycling?’, a discussion with Charlotte Tompkins, on Thursday 7th November, both in the Queen Victoria Hall, West Street, Oundle. Entry is free and bar opens from 7pm.
The OWL Fund
The OWL team will be working with local organisations, groups and schools to raise awareness about waste reduction and environmental issues. Small amounts of funding will be made available for ‘waste less’ projects – such as signage or equipment to reduce the use (or waste) of any type of resource. Anyone interested should email the OWL team with a brief description of their request and how they will encourage
Full details are available on www.transitionoundle.org.uk on the Oundle Waste Less page, or on the @OundleWasteLess facebook page. Alternatively, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to ask specific questions.
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