06.10.03
Green group gets gold star

An independent report on ReMaDe Kernow has given the green organisation a gold star for its work to boost Cornish markets for recycled products.

The evaluation by chartered accountants Bishop Fleming was carried out on behalf of Objective One, which has been one of ReMaDe Kernow's main investors.

ReMaDe was set up in Cornwall in 2001, following a study looking at the economic benefits for Cornwall of diverting more material away from landfill and into recycled products. During the following two years, ReMaDe has worked with small businesses and other organisations from across Cornwall to develop a variety of innovative projects.

And one of the key findings of the Bishop Fleming report is that of the businesses so far involved with ReMaDe, 96% would work with the scheme again and would also recommend ReMaDe to other businesses.
The report's author, Ewan McClymont, said the overwhelming positive response suggested ReMaDe Kernow was becoming regarded as a vital element of the recycling sector.

The report looked at the project's performance over a number of areas, including: achievement of performance targets, delivery and value for money.

As well as performing ahead of its targets, Mr McClymont said ReMaDe's delivery of the project was also going well, with 87% of customers rating the team's overall quality of service positively.

He observed: "Given the high level of expertise, standard of delivery and anticipated outputs, the project's management and operational costs represent excellent value for money.”

The report said that not only has ReMaDe Kernow been widely accepted in the recycling sector, but that its influence would spread if the opportunity for a follow-on project were realised.

Mr McClymont said: "The overall conclusion is that the ReMaDe Kernow project is a first class example of how Objective One investment can leverage a step change in business thinking, whilst at the same time, deliver key outputs, results and impacts for the overall good of the economy.”

He concluded: "The team's contribution can best be summed up by one of the customers interviewed, who regards the team as 'the driving force in the industry (to) push ideas that would otherwise be ignored’.”

The report has been carried out partly to help decide whether further investment in the current two-year project is justified – and Mr McClymont said that the short-term nature of this funding was "at odds" with the complex nature of individual projects with a longer time span.

In his conclusion, he observed: "The project operates in a political arena where recycling might be high on the agenda, but gaining consensus amongst different agendas can result in inertia.

"This has clearly not been the case with ReMaDe Kernow, which operates with a team and a board who have operated a 'can do' attitude.”

Michael Poole, director of ReMaDe, was delighted with the report. He said: "It's wonderful to get such positive feedback and is a tribute to everyone who has been part of ReMaDe and supported our work.

"Recycling is something that will become increasingly important – it's rising up the international, national and local agenda all the time. We need real answers to our waste problems and finding economic solutions makes the best possible sense, which is why the work of organisations like ReMaDe is so valuable in both the short and long term.”

Editor's notes:

ReMaDe Kernow

ReMaDe Kernow is one of the first environmental projects to achieve funding from the Objective One Programme. It is also the first of several projects conceived, funded and managed by the Cornwall Waste Working Group – recently re-branded as 'ReZolve'.

ReZolve has a diverse membership from across Cornwall, and is dedicated to exploring the issues relating to waste in the county, and promoting activities which will lead to integrated waste management and the implementation of the waste hierarchy in Cornwall (reduce, reuse, recycle).

ReMaDe – which stands for Recycling Market Development – was set up in Cornwall in 2001 in order to develop bigger and stronger markets for recycled materials. Its launch followed a detailed study that predicted more than 550 jobs and £21 million a year could be generated for the economy by 2015 through making use of the 400,000 tonnes of rubbish that goes into landfill sites every year.

Developing new markets, products and materials

ReMaDe Kernow's first phase has involved working with a wide range of partners – businesses, entrepreneurs, local authorities and the voluntary sector – to develop new markets, new products, and new materials.

Using imagination and innovation – as well as hard business sense – this has resulted in a number of innovative and exciting projects – ranging from schemes for producing new composite materials using waste rubber from old truck tyres mixed with plastic and wood waste, to using worms for large scale composting of household waste.

Funding

Funders for ReMaDe Kernow are: Objective One Programme, County Environmental Trust, the Regional Development Agency (Rural Development Programme), Cornwall Enterprise, Cornwall County Council, and all the District Councils of Cornwall.

For further information:

Michael Poole
ReMaDe Kernow
Tel: 01579 349316

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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