Sustainability: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sustainability/ Sustainable Development?

What are Worcestershire County Council doing to promote sustainable development?

What are Worcestershire County Council’s main documents/policies relevant to sustainability?

How can I find out about leading a greener lifestyle?

What grants are available to help me conserve energy?

What grants are available to help me install renewable energy technologies at home?

How can I get solar panels installed?

How can I install a mini wind turbine?

What recycling facilities are available to me?

What is Sustainability/ Sustainable Development?

Sustainability is something that affects us all. It is about the future, making sure that the solutions of today's problem do not store up trouble at a later date.

The most widely used definition of sustainable development, is that of the Brundtland Commission: "development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It can also be described as ‘not cheating on our children’ or ‘living off the interest, not the capital’.

It recognises that in order to improve quality of life for everyone, we need to consider economic, social and environmental issues in an integrated way. For example, economic growth is not sustainable if it causes environmental and social degradation.

Sustainable development means doing things differently at work, at school and at home, to improve the quality of life for current and future generations. We all have a part to play.

What are Worcestershire County Council doing to promote sustainable development?

The council aims to lead by example, for example by:

• Working to reduce its climate change gas emissions through its energy use.
• Considering the environmental and social impacts of the goods & services it buys.
• Trying to reduce its wastes & encourage others to do the same.
• Striving to help develop a successful local economy.

The council aims to educate children and adults through:

• Supporting the Ecoschools programme in Worcestershire
• Integrating sustainable development into the school curriculum
• Carrying out awareness raising campaigns on issues such as waste minimisation, saving energy and sustainable transport.

The council aims to enable residents to live more sustainably by:

• Helping to develop recycling services
• Promoting and developing sustainable transport such as walking, cycling and car-sharing.
• Supporting local business networks such as Worcestershire's food & drink industry.
• Enabling access to local services, for example through our land-use planning.

What are Worcestershire County council’s main documents/policies relevant to sustainability?

• WCC works with other key local organisations to deliver the Community Strategy, which can be seen as a framework for the sustainable development of the county.
• WCC aims to integrate the principles of sustainable development into its own policies, its Corporate Plan and each directorate’s performance plan.
• The Council's Sustainability Action Plan  (427.06 KB) outlines how WCC aims to further integrate sustainability into the way it works and how it delivers its services.

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How can I find out about leading a greener lifestyle?

Worcestershire County Council's Green Directory is an on-line 'one stop shop' of local contacts to help you lead a more sustainable lifestyle, whilst helping your local community and economy at the same time. It covers a wide range of topics, including food and drink , community and volunteering, transport and travel, business, saving energy, recycling organisations, greener DIY and gardening, and lots more.

What grants are available to help me conserve energy?

Contact your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre to find out what grants and special offers are available to help you save energy. Call them for free on 0800 512012 or visit  www.saveenergy.co.uk .

If you receive any benefits, you may be entitled to a WarmFront grant to help you improve the insulation and heating of your home. To find out more, call 0800 952 1555 or see www.eaga.co.uk .

If you are interested in installing renewable energy technology, such as a solar hot water system, a wood fuelled boiler or a wind turbine, you may be able to get a grant as part of the Low Carbon Building Programme

What grants are available to help me install renewable energy technologies at home?

The Low Carbon Building Programme provides grants to householders and small businesses wishing to install renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic panels, solar thermal water heating, wind, ground source heating and bioenergy. The amount of money available depends upon the type of technology being installed.

Criteria to be met include minimum energy efficiency  measures such as cavity wall and loft insulation. For more details or to apply for a grant click here or call 0800 915 7722.

How can I get solar panels installed?

Before you consider installing solar panels, try to maximise the overall energy efficiency of your home first, as this is the most effective way of saving energy. Contact the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (0800 512012 or visit  www.saveenergy.co.uk ) for help with this.

Once you’re happy with this, contact the Marches Energy Agency for advice on solar panels and other types of renewable energy technology- phone 01743 246007 or see http://www.mea.org.uk   

Grants to help householders and small businesses install solar panels are available through the Low Carbon Building Programme

How can I install a mini wind turbine?

Your home, instead of just consuming electricity, can now be producing it.

Free energy from the wind is harnessed using a small wind turbine mounted on an outside wall of your house. The 'Windsave' kit includes a wind generator and the electrical equipment needed so that the system is simply plugged into your home power circuit. It also includes fitting.

This has recently been promoted through B&Q DIY Stores and can also be arranged through local specialists. The complete installation costs around £1,500 and should produce around 1,000kWh of electricity a year.

The government is keen to encourage the use of renewable energy and will provide a grant of 30% of the cost of domestic wind turbines through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. This will reduce the cost to about £1,000 although you will need to get planning permission from your local district council.

At current prices, the electricity produced would be worth over £100 and if energy prices continue to rise by 20% each year your wind machine could pay for itself inside 6 years.

As you can see from the picture, domestic scale wind turbines are only slightly bigger than television aerials, less obtrusive than some satellite dishes and no louder than the normal background noise.

For more information call your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512012

What recycling facilities are available to me?

Many households in Worcestershire are now covered by a doorstep recycling collection scheme. There are also lots of recycling collection banks throughout the county, for example in supermarket car parks or near council buildings. To find out about your collection scheme or nearest facilities, see the council's waste pages.- relevant District Council recycling contacts are also available here. There’s also lots of information about other ways of reducing waste, for example through composting your kitchen and garden waste in a cut-price compost bin.