Nailsworth CAN have been thinking about projects that the town, community groups and businesses can sponsor or participate in. Here are some initiatives we can all play a part in promoting:

• Repair Cafe: To increase the funding - with help from NTC - to resource and staff Nailsworth’s Repair Cafe to be open more regularly.

• Recycling: All shops and businesses to consider how they can improve how they deal with waste, and offer opportunities for refill or recycling (Note: Nailsworth Library has created a list of outlets in the town that do various kinds of recycling, e.g. for batteries).

• Sharing & Swapping: To have a system in place to make it easy to share and swap tools, gadgets etc.

• Library of Things: A way to share an swap, is create a library of donated things - tools, gadgets, etc. - that can be checked in and out just as in a normal library.

• Rainswater Harvesting: To promote rainwater harvesting for gardeners during droughts.

• Plastic Recycling: To build on the existing recycling in town, and specifically to get Supermarkets to play their role in recycling plastics; but to aim for less single use plastic in the first place.

• Green Procurement: Encouraging and support public institutions and businesses to do green procurement.

• Courses: To offer courses in repairing clothes (and making them), and other skills.

• Community Resources: Ideas such as a community woodchipper.

What are the benefits of these projects?

Carbon Reduction: Avoids emissions by reducing waste, and for organic waste, reduces methane emissions from waste tips.

Local Economy: Jobs that deal with repair and other ways to reduce waste. By working to provide for ourselves as a community, we keeping money within the town.

Fairness: Less waste and sharing can help those on lower incomes access goods and services.

Health & Wellbeing: Reducing consumption, eating well, and slowing down, can have big benefits to our mental health.

Nature Restoration: Reduce landfill and toxic products in the environment

Resilience: By being better at looking after our own needs, we become more resilient as a town.