Sustainable living in London (From Sutton Guardian)

Sutton Council looks to new sustainability projects

3:30pm Monday 14th January 2013 in News By Sophia Sleigh, Reporter

Sutton Council has been discussing ambitious projects to achieve sustainable living in the borough.

At a meeting  on January 8 at Trinity Church in Wallington, experts from the council, business and the voluntary sector looked over Sutton’s successes and set targets for the next few years.

Initial ideas include reducing waste from household by 10 per cent by 2017, cutting landfill to zero tonnes by 2025 and increasing the percentage of residents using sustainable transport to 50 per cent by 2017.

In 2009 Sutton became the first One Planet borough, committing to a variety of initiatives in waste reduction, transport, food, natural habitats, water and the economy.

Councillor Jill Whitehead, chair of Sutton Council’s environment and neighbourhoods committee, said: “The One Planet objectives are integral in everything Sutton Council has done since we signed up to the project and we have achieved a great deal.

"But we haven’t done it alone, our partners have been crucial in helping us achieve our targets.

“Now we are looking ahead and we need partners to get involved in setting objectives for 2017 and beyond. The need is as great as ever.”

There will soon be a page on the Council’s website giving details of the proposed targets where anyone can chip in ideas, suggestions and criticisms.

Carshalton and Wallington MP Tom Brake has also launched a competition to get ideas about improving neighbourhoods or schools on behalf of Sutton-based sustainability charity, BioRegional.

Two winning projects will get support and coaching to take their ideas from the drawing board and into reality.

Enter via oneplanetsutton.org/communitychallenge or print an application from BioRegional.