Peterborough City Council waste education officer Helena Lamb
has been awarded a national Green Apple trophy after creating an
innovative environmental information pack for local landlords and
letting agents.
The pack contains information on climate change, pest control,
and the correct use of household waste and recycling bins. The pack
uses copies of previously existing recycling leaflets in fifteen
languages, providing landlords and property agents with information
that can be photocopied according to the language needs of
individual tenants.
There were 500 nominations for the 2010 International Green
Apple Environment Awards, which have been organised for the past 15
years by The Green Organisation, an independent environment group.
There will be a presentation ceremony at the House of Commons in
November and top winners will be submitted to the European Business
Awards for the Environment scheme in Brussels. Award winners are
also named ‘International Green Heroes’.
Helena produced the pack in partnership with colleagues from the
city council’s Peterborough Accredited Landlord Scheme (PALS),
pollution control and environmental enforcement teams. In harmony
with its environmental objectives, it uses pre-existing materials
and existing leaflets presented in previously used ring-binders
that have been salvaged from various council departments, keeping
costs to a bare minimum.
So far, the pack has been used by around 40 landlords and
managing agents, with 90 per cent of respondents to a questionnaire
saying they find it useful. The most frequently distributed item
was the recycling leaflet, with Lithuanian, Polish and Portuguese
versions being the most used.
Since the pack was first introduced in June 2009, landlords and
managing agents have been sent revised guidance notes, plus updates
about householder recycling centres and trade waste information
from the Environment Agency.
“I’m thrilled to have this project recognised with a Green Apple
award,” said Helena. “This pack makes environmental information
more accessable to accredited landlords or their letting agents so
they can cooperate in providing their new and existing tenants with
essential information.
“For example, correct use of the waste and recycling bins has
helped reduce contamination of recycling materials from 14 per cent
in April 2009 to just seven per cent in April 2010, reducing
landfill costs to the council.”
Councillor Samantha Dalton, cabinet member for environment
capital, praised Helena’s success. She said: “The environmental
information pack has benefited several council departments and
residents. Landlords or their managing agents are now more aware of
how to prevent rubbish accumulation when residents move out of a
property and leave the bins full.
“The pack is especially successful because it has been produced
at minimal cost by using existing information from several
departments and can be easily updated with new information when
necessary.”
- Helena is the third city council employee to receive a Green
Apple Award. Her colleague Kirsty Martin received an award for her
education pack that links environmental issues to the primary
school curriculum and Jenna Hiley has now received two awards – one
in 2009 for a climate change game she created in partnership with
Hampton College pupils and another this year for competitions that
challenged Werrington residents and employees of local businesses
to reduce carbon emissions.
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Additional information:
The Green Organisation is funded by membership and sponsorship,
with valuable support from the Environment Agency, the Chartered
Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institution of
Wastes Management, the Municipal Journal and other professional
bodies. For more information visit:
www.thegreenorganisation.info.