Growing Communities Together
re3 extends the re3Grow Community Scheme and invites local organisations and schools to apply for free re3grow compost
re3, the waste management partnership between Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Borough Councils and FCC Environment is delighted to extend its re3Grow Community Scheme, enabling local organisations and schools to benefit from its high-quality, peat-free compost made from recycled garden waste. A great example of growing a local circular economy!
You can find out more about the scheme and find the expression of interest form here.
To date, re3grow compost has been received by 69 local organisations and schools for their green projects.
From nourishing local community allotments, growing fruit and veg for local food banks, improving sensory gardens at local schools, helping less fortunate people to grow their own food, providing social and therapeutic horticulture sessions, to simply improving general wellbeing by making outdoor spaces more welcoming. In total, over 1,600 bags of compost were provided in 2022, allowing 64,000 litres of compost to be used, benefitting local communities, and promoting recycling.
Interested organisations and schools in receiving compost are invited to complete an expression of interest form available on the re3 website. There is a limited number of bags available, so groups are encouraged to apply early to avoid disappointment.
Ryan Simpson, Co-Founder of Freely Fruity commented: “The re3Grow scheme has been an absolute game-changer for our charity Freely Fruity. We have been lucky and received a large quantity of free compost and used it for community garden projects around Berkshire, which include community gardens at schools in Wokingham and Reading, Reading College Active Learning, and in a community food growing scheme in Woodley, who are all growing food for their local foodbanks. Not only has this saved our charity hundreds of pounds, but also the compost is made purely from everyone’s garden waste; it really is a huge sustainable story. The actual product is rich and much better than mass produced compost we had been buying previously. We hope to continue our relationship with re3 Partnership way into 2023 and beyond.”
In a joint re3 statement:
Cllr Mrs Dorothy Hayes MBE, Bracknell Forest Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Chairman of the Joint Waste Disposal Board, Cllr Karen Rowland, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Neighbourhoods & Communities and Cllr Ian Shenton, Wokingham Borough Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Leisure, said:
“We have been so impressed by all the initiatives and collaborative spirit demonstrated by the organisations and schools involved. Reviewing all the ideas of how applicants planned to use the re3grow compost was very encouraging but also satisfying. We knew that each of them would have a great impact on our communities, especially now in the cost-of-living crisis.
Every single project is like a seed with a great potential and capacity to grow, and we are ever so grateful that we could play a small part in helping to deliver these projects. As a partnership we are fortunate to be able to extend the offer and sincerely invite more local organisations and schools to come forward and apply for free bags of re3grow compost so they can benefit our communities.”
Rory Brien, re3 General Manager, FCC Environment added: “Garden waste recycling is one of the most popular waste services amongst residents. Offering our very own recycled garden waste back to residents, in the form of compost, helps to illustrate its recycling journey directly. We can’t wait to receive proposals from local groups and organisations, and recommend applying early, as this year, the compost will be offered on first come, first served basis.”
The compost conforms to BSI PAS 100 and the Compost Quality Protocol. Before being bagged, it undergoes a 12 week-long composting process using open windrows during which garden waste is screened, shredded and matured. One of the stages is sanitisation, when a high temperature between 65 – 80ºC is maintained for a minimum of 7 consecutive days to kill off weeds, seeds and pathogens.
The re3grow compost is currently on sale to members of the public at the recycling centres in Longshot Lane, Bracknell and Island Road, Reading however as part of re3’s Community re3Grow Scheme, compost is offered free of charge to community group and schools selected to be part of the project.