Oor water Butt rain & zero waste

Water Saving for Zero Waste Targets

 

Today is the 24th of May 2025, and our gardenizer, Nige at the BFG`s, believes it is the first day it has rained this month! Is this unheard of in Scotland? We asked him? It certainly differs from when you and the management team were young, was his answer! (in other words, think for yourself!) We are in the planning stages for numerous initiatives around water at the hub. Many visitors have commented on how lovely it is that we’re having another nice sunny day, which indicates that hub users may not be monitoring the concerning environmental changes. As the song goes, along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometimes!

Our food growing group has been monitoring our seedlings, saplings, sunflowers, planters, potatoes, and trees, all of which are drying up. We had to water them because April was also dry. As the old saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," but this year, there were very few April showers! This lack of rain caused forest fires to occur again in Scotland during April and May. SEPA is planning water-saving initiatives due to low river and reservoir levels, and we at the hub are building resilience to tackle this new norm. Into our future-proofing

Today, we saw some amazing results from just one day of rain; our IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container) collected a good amount of rainwater. This pleased us because we can now use this water to irrigate our plants. Not only does this save Scottish water from being wasted from taps and hoses, but it also allows us to use water that has not been treated with chlorine or fluoride. At the hub, we are committed to going plastic-free. While the IBC and its guttering are made of plastic, both are upcycled and repurposed from landfill, which aligns with our ethics of future-proofing the hub with upcycled products instead of purchasing new plastic, thus contributing to our happiness. Our sustainability manager once worked in the petrochemical industry and he is happy to explain to anyone if asked about, the global plastic pollution problem that must be tackled

Polmont Joggers, who meet at the hub in winter, have been incredible supporters, contributing both financially and physically. They volunteer their time and recently made a substantial donation while on their summer break. This donation was enough to purchase a freshwater dispenser and an on-tap water filter system. However, these filters exceed the hub’s normal purchasing policy, which requires trustee confirmation from the treasurer and committee for purchases over a certain amount. We are all extremely busy right now, and our Sustainability Manager and Project Development Officer really want to buy one of these water filters immediately, bypassing the committee process. They plan to install the system themselves to save the hub money and provide filtered tap water at the hub. This will prevent groups from bringing in single-use polltion water bottles. Currently, many groups dispose of these bottles in our bins, not even in the recycling bins at times. our waste disposal now resembles that of standard household waste, with three wheelie bins, we are regularly discovering single-use plastic bottles bundled up in the general waste. Then valuable volunteer hours are wasted policing our bins We aim to eliminate some of this waste by installing filtered tap water, providing fresh fruit in bowls, and offering reusable cups. This initiative aligns with our zero-waste goals and water-saving strategies, both of which are interconnected. At the hub, we understand that we need to rethink our relationship with "stuff" if we are serious about tackling environmental issues. The circular economy is about encouraging people and organizations to consume differently, avoiding landfill waste. This is our mission, and we plan to start right now.