Our annual report 2011 is now available to download!

Find out what we've been working on over the last twelve months!

In 2011 we have delivered on over 20 different projects ranging from working with local faith groups to help them understand climate change, to launching the Forest for Peterborough.  

Download it now as a PDF.




If you need a printed copy please contact Lisa Taylor on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 01733 568408.

Tags: Nyree Ambarchian | Peterborough Environment City Trust

Are you participating in Zero Waste Week?

 

Zero Waste Week is an annual city-wide event celebrating Peterborough’s legacy as the first UK city to gain Defra ‘Zero Waste Place’ accreditation. After the success of our award-winning project, over 3,200 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill and over 1,500 tonnes of CO2 saved.

PECT has a week of activities for staff to take part in, from staff pledges to reduce waste at work and at home and a staff litter pick in the city centre, to a bring and share lunch with lots of homemade goodies and no wasteful packaging.  Zero Waste Week is really a lot of fun. It’s a great excuse to share a meal, come up with innovative waste reduction ideas, and focus on purchasing and the packaging associated with it.”

 
Today's activity was a litter pick.  Staff chose from four heavy traffic areas and pledged at least a half hour to pick.  Enterprise kindly lent us gloves, bags and litter pickers.  My group went along the underpass to the train station and the path leading to the station.  To be honest, it wasn't that riddled with rubbish.  We did still manage to partly fill 5 bags.  And though it's a little cold, and the job is grubby, we felt great afterwards.

Tomorrow holds an opportunity to learn best practice from the regions high flyers. Investors in the Environment members – IKEA Distribution Centre, Queensgate Shopping Centre, Anne Corder Recruitment and Bakkavor Freshcook have all achieved top level green accreditation and want to share their facts and know how. One business is Zero Waste to landfill, one is a paperless office, the others have some of best green credentials that we have seen in a long time. Together they are the Super 4. On the day we will hear a great range of stories from a great range of different business sectors.

Tags: Do your bit for the environment | Zero Waste Peterborough | Peterborough Environment City Trust | Investors in the Environment

From the 27 July to the 9 August I’ll be carrying out work experience at PECT, for me this time isn’t only to benefit my journalism course and experience the marketing side of a company, but to also broaden my horizons on environmental issues.

During my placement I hope to experience what it is like to be part of a working environment and the day to day running of a charity. It will be interesting to see how I manage with office distractions such as chatting! At university when you need to write an essay you simply go by yourself to the library or your room, whereas at work I am sure it’s harder to escape the social distractions. Another thing I am hoping to experience is the relationship and involvement PECT has with the media. As an environmental organisation it’s vital PECT get coverage in the local paper, radio etc, to communicate with the public. In a nutshell from the working side, I’m hoping that I finish the 2 weeks with a huge amount of experience and knowledge gained, if I can learn or improve in at least 2 or 3 aspects of what I need in for my future career I will feel as though my time will have been hugely beneficial.

Tags: Work Experience | free training | Peterborough Environment City Trust

Green Festival Highlight Trashion Show returns to Queensgate Shopping Centre on Thursday 9th June, with  events all day from 10.00am to 7.30pm. Find us in Queensgate's, next to Costa Coffee. 

Exclusive!

Tags: Green Festival | Peterborough Environment City Trust | Nadia Grys

Journey along the beautiful Nassaburgh Green Wheel cycle route to Willowbrook Farm, where delicious food and family-fun activities await!

Discover life on Britain’s farms and learn about nature!

• Find out where your food comes from on a real working farm
• Learn what farmers do and how you can get involved in the countryside
• Do a butterfly count in beautiful Swaddywell Pit Nature Reserve
• Mini-beast safaris at 12pm and 2pm
• Become a bee-detective and help us count bees for the national Beewatch Survey
• Learn how you can help bees in your garden
• Meet real animals

See you there!

Tags: Green Festival | food | Peterborough Environment City Trust | Love Local | Nadia Grys

Blossom under guidance from horticulture experts! 

They’ll be on hand to teach you how to grow stunning roses in your garden and vegetables in pots. Visit Van Hage from 10.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday 4^th and Sunday 5^th of June.

Bring the kids along too so that they can take part in the 5-a-day treasure hunt! It’s a fun activity helping children identify fruit and vegetables.

Tags: Green Festival | Peterborough Environment City Trust | Nadia Grys

Riverford are back – supporting the Green Festival for the third consecutive year!

Tags: Peterborough Environment City Trust | Green Festival | Do your bit for the environment | Nadia Grys | food

Tags: Janine Starling | Peterborough Environment City Trust

It’s rather scary to think how quickly 5 months and 3 weeks has passed at green charity PECT (Peterborough Environment City Trust) not to mention how sad I am to leave. I gained the six month placement through the Future Jobs Fund programme.

Since joining this hardworking charity, I have been lucky enough to work with a variety of brilliant people, each with a mass of knowledge and excitement for the possibility of change.

With the title of marketing and communications assistant, I worked under marketing manager Nyree Ambarchian, who is a true inspiration. Her consistent reassurance and efforts to push and encourage my work ability to the limit has ensured I am constantly challenged.

I think the most memorable thing she has taught me is the idea that, by making the smallest of changes, we are making a far bigger difference.

“Just do something. Pick one thing you want to focus on and stick to it. Whether it's bussing or cycling to work, taking reusable bags to the shops with you, turning the heating down or setting up a water butt in your garden – just pick your one thing and make sure you keep it up. Once you've got the one under your belt it will just become habit and so effort-free that you can pick something else to focus on.”

And I couldn’t agree more. Even since working here, I have become more aware of what I am throwing away, how it could be disposed of differently or even reused. I notice the packaging of foods, where they are from and often swap what I’ve picked up for a more local produce or British farmer in order to support the economy.

I think the easiest and most simple changes to make are things such as;

1. Walking, taking the bus or car sharing in an effort to minimise our carbon footprint. Healthier if you walk, but otherwise it means less carbon emissions and more sense!

2. Buying from local sources/ checking the packaging to ensure we support our local farmers and the economy.

3. Turning off lights, monitors and so on when not in use (so simple!) After a while you do it without thinking.

4. Recycle! If you’re going to drop something in the bin anyway, why not have one for rubbish and one for recycling and dispose accordingly? Once you start doing this, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t started sooner.

5. Reusable bags- They’re sturdy, reliable and easier to carry. You can pick up a reusable bag at practically every supermarket for as little as £2! When plastic bags are thrown away, they can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in a landfill so using one really is win, win.

I’m not claiming to be an environmental goddess by any means, but I have learnt how easy it is to change my habits with very little time and effort. ‘Every little helps’ (to quote Tesco) so rather than telling yourself you know how to become more environmentally friendly, why not try and change something today. Soon enough you won’t even think about it and will have ticked off everything in the list above!

Thank you to PECT and the Future Jobs Fund for finding me such a brilliant and fun workplace and for providing me with the opportunity to learn and achieve so much.

Tags: Caroline Sheffield | Nyree Ambarchian | Do your bit for the environment | Peterborough Environment City Trust

SUSTAIN Lincolnshire has already helped over 40 businesses...
 

SUSTAIN Lincolnshire Resource Efficiency Business Support is the scheme helping SMEs, (small to meduim sized enterprises), across Lincolnshire to reduce their environmental impact and save money. Since its launch in July 2010 we have worked with forty-two businesses across Lincolnshire representing a diverse range of sectors including food & drink, tourism and leisure and manufacturing. Our task is to help these businesses in a practical, hands-on way. We want to ensure these businesses are efficient with resources like energy and water to ensure they are sustainable in the long term – both environmentally and financially.

What have we done?

We’re helping several businesses identify opportunities for generating renewable energy on their premises. This includes renewable energy technologies like solar panels for electricity generation and anaerobic digestion plants for both power and heat generation. One of the ways we help, is by identifying grant aid and interest free loans that are available to help with purchase costs.
We are also supporting a number of businesses to develop their own Environmental Management System (EMS) so they can reduce environmental impact – increasingly a requirement to retain key customers.

Success stories:

• Maples Solicitors is set to save between £600

to £900 a year on their energy bill by switching
to energy efficient lighting.

• P&R Plant Hire is currently working towards

achieving ISO14001 helping them maintain
competitive edge in tendering.

• Oxflow is installing energy efficiency measures

and generating renewable energy to ensure their
premises are sustainable.

Our team has already identified potential resource efficiency savings worth an estimated £30,000 and all savings have been identified at no cost to these businesses.

Contact us today to see if we can help you. Call 01522 589964 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Free training and support to get your EMS in place...

What is an Environmental Management System?

Put simply, an EMS is a collection of procedures and policies produced by a business to help manage the environmental effects of their operations. It outlines where you are now, where you want to be, and how you’re going to get there when it comes to operating in a greener way.

Businesses can have formal, externally accredited systems to international standards (for example ISO14001) or to a British Standard (for example BS8555). There are also less formal systems for businesses that are just getting started. Whichever way you choose to develop your EMS the benefits include:
• cost savings,
• reduced liabilities,
• greater legislative compliance
• improved pollution control.

Besides these significant benefits, many businesses are also finding having an EMS in place a definite advantage when it comes to tendering for new business and for improving existing customer relationships.

Creating your own EMS doesn’t need to be a daunting task. You probably already have the makings of a system within your current business procedures. The SUSTAIN Lincolnshire Resource Efficiency Business Support Programme is also on hand to provide free support to SMEs in Lincolnshire which includes helping develop your EMS.

The SUSTAIN Lincolnshire programme will also be running a two day introductory course on EMS in April. This will be entirely free for qualifying businesses. Places are limited so contact us today on 01522 589964 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further details and to book your place.

Tags: Peterborough Environment City Trust | Sustainable Communities | Caroline Sheffield | Green your business