WASTEinnovations Eco-workshops have developed out of the creation of eco-kits from waste resource material which have been crafted into a variety of fashion, home and garden product lines. It has been run as a pilot project both in Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders.
Kilcheran is focused on the delivery of sustainable development projects in partnership with communities. Waste Innovations is one of Kilcheran's community projects that facilitates organisations and businesses to up-cycle their waste. For example we work with Oxfam and recycle all their surplus donations that have not sold, instead of it going to landfill. Some of this waste is then up-cycled by a network of crafters and artists to create eco-kits which can be made into useful items for home and personal use, e.g. bird feeders, greetings cards, jewellery, wind chimes, planters etc.
These Eco-kits are then used by organisations, through partnerships, for people to work on making up the kits either in their own homes or under the supervision of a support worker or in one of our organised eco-workshops. We usually run our eco-workshops alongside community cafes with a regular programme of events. All of our workshops and eco-kits are in partnership with community groups. Our work up till now has been focused on East Lothian, Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders.
Under normal circumstances, income from the cost of the kits and the workshops pays for our manufacturing network of local crafts people to make the eco-kits and run the workshops, so creating a sustainable loop.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Funded by the RRR Fund, our response is to move our workshops on-line with a set programme of workshop events coupled with the delivery of the eco-kits to peoples homes where they can participate creatively at home, making interesting and exciting items that they would like to have. We plan that the eco-kits will be able to be assembled in 3- ways, depending on the choice of the individual:
1. Off-line following our simple instructions which accompanies the kit with a help-line phone number for assistance if required; 2. On u-tube via our web-site to access anytime, or 3. Participation workshops at pre-scheduled times by using Zoom, an online meeting and collaborative space. With Zoom we can create interactive communication with people, demonstrate the kits and trouble shoot their difficulties adding extra value in these times of isolation, and create opportunities for Zoom chats with others from their community.
IMPACT 1. Make Waste Innovations eco-workshops a viable entity in generating surplus income to create jobs and volunteer placements. 2. As well as providing a much needed service during Covid-19 restrictions, this new approach and infrastructure will generate a long term legacy both for our WASTEinnovations project by diversifying our capabilities, but also for the communities by creating more options to suit their needs in the future. 3. This initiative has been designed in response to feedback from people in isolation and groups who support others including young single parent families, older people, disabled and vulnerable. It will encourage creativity, communication and community in this season of additional vulnerability for these target groups.
