Going Green in Residential Care

By Tania Johnson

Eastbourne, UK - Switching to green energy, buying environmentally friendly cleaning products, cutting down on using plastic bags and reducing water consumption are some of the changes currently being implemented by a local care organisation for young people across their premises in Eastbourne, Hailsham, Pevensey and Hastings as they seek to take responsibility as a business for their impact on the environment and set a positive example to the young people they look after.

Anderida Adolescent Care support and enable young people aged between 11 and 18 who come from difficult or troubled backgrounds to develop and progress in a safe and stable domestic living environment.

Company Director Erica Scott felt compelled to take action having watched a documentary on Climate Change earlier this year. She said "How can we look after children if we are not educating and empowering them to make decisions about the environment around them and acting as good role models ourselves? We have an ethical responsibility for the young people we care for."

The company's first step was to ask Pevensey based project worker Stephanie Lewis - who has a long standing interest in environmental and ethical issues - to undertake an audit of their premises to see what changes could be made to work towards these aims. She quickly identified a number of simple measures that could be adopted that would reduce the organisations carbon footprint and save them money in the long term.

These included: • Changed to a 100% renewable electricity supplier • Installed energy saving light bulbs throughout their premises • Swapped to environmentally friendly cleaning products • Used ‘Bags for Life' instead of carrier bags for weekly food shops • Recycling all glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and green waste • Fitted compost bins in gardens of their homes • Put water saving 'Hippo Bags' in all toilet cisterns • Printing all internal memos and communications double sided

Staff also now buy Fairtrade products wherever they can, including tea and coffee for communal kitchens and staff meetings.

Stephanie said "The staff have all worked really hard to make these changes happen and are 100% behind these initiatives. I feel it is very important that the young people we work with develop into socially aware adults, and this is another valuable way in which we can support them to achieve this."

The Environment Agency commented, "It's really encouraging to see businesses taking the lead on environmentally friendly behaviour like this. Climate change is happening now and we all need to take responsibility for our planet."

Anderida are looking to develop and expand their Green Policy into new areas over the coming months. Their plans include switching to recycled paper and office stationary, installing water butts in each of their properties, looking to source goods from more local suppliers, and getting staff involved in local community projects.

Source: www.anderidacare.co.uk