Cylch - A Big Issue Cymru Big List subscriber

 
Cylch is the Wales Community Recycling Network. We provide information, advice and support to existing and emerging community reuse, recycling, composting and reprocessing organisations across Wales and elsewhere. Cylch’s Chief Executive Officer, Mal Williams, explains why they support The Big Issue

Q. Can you explain more about what Cylch does?

Cylch is a membership organisation with over 70 community waste minimisation, reuse, recycling and composting enterprises throughout Wales. These organisations provide social benefits such as employment and training opportunities as well as strengthening the local economy and protecting the environment through the recycling activities

Q. What are Cylch’s goals?

We are commited to making Wales sustainable and a zero waste nation. We aim to raise the profile of our members in the community sector by providing them with the skills, training, support and information they need to help expand and improve their operations.

Q. Why is Cylch a part of The Big Issue Cymru’s Big List?

The Big Issue stands for self empowerment and opportunities for those who face adversity and Cylch share the same beliefs and morals.

Q. How does the ethos of Cylch fit in with that of The Big Issue Cymru?

Cylch is proud to show our support for the Big Issue Cymru as we share The Big Issue’s vision of a fairer society. Our members share a commitment to fighting the effects of poverty and social injustice that can lead to homelessness. Many of our members provide opportunities for people who have been disadvantaged in the labour market – such as ex- offenders and people with learning difficulties – to gain the skills and confidence they need to find meaningful work and make a living for themselves. So we’re not just about breathing life into old stuff; we believe in a new lease of life for people too.

Q. What are Cylch’s plans for the future?

We are working with our members to set up reuse and recycling centre hubs across Wales. We want to make it easier for the public to locate a centre to donate their unwanted textiles, household furniture and electrical equipment so that our member organisations can reuse and resell the items for the benefit of the community and help divert those items from landfill.

Q. Why is Cylch a success?

The community recycling, re-use and composting organisations we support are the unsung heroes of Wales. They work hard behind the scenes, extracting the value from what other people regard as waste and turning it into real benefits for the local community.

Community recycling is a cross-cutting solution for many of the most pressing problems we are facing today, such as damage to the environment, poverty and lack of employment opportunities. We will not let valuable resources – or individuals – slip through the net and end up on the scrapheap.

The opportunities for learning, volunteering or business partnerships with our member groups are endless, so do get in touch if you are interested in working with us. Visit www.cylch.org and www.wasteandrecyclingtraining.co.uk for more details.

Find out more at:
www.cylch.org.uk
Tel: 02920 519000
Email: mail@cylch.org.uk
Twitter: @CylchWalesCRN and be our friend on Facebook

To find out more about becoming a supporting subscriber, click here