Waste and Resource Management Contractor, Enva, contributes to Glasgow Kelvin College’s Community Garden Project with a donation of compost from recycled green and food waste.
Glasgow’s East End is continuing to benefit from Glasgow Kelvin College’s ‘recycle reuse reduce’ ethos and its long partnership with waste and resource management contractor, Enva.
As part of its strong commitment to sustainability, Glasgow Kelvin College works closely with Enva to ensure as much of its waste as possible is collected and composted to go back into the soil and fertilise new growth. This spring, Enva returned that commitment in the form of over three tonnes of nutrient rich, peat-free compost for the College’s East End Community Garden Project.
The College Estates Team helped to unload the high grade compost and were soon shoring it into the recycled tyre wall, ready for planting flowers to attract bees and other insects which will, in turn, bring more wildlife to the garden.
Stephen Cameron, Sales Director, Enva said;
“The close working relationship we have developed with Glasgow Kelvin College is founded on a mutual commitment to sustainable waste management and the environment. We were delighted to be able to supply some of our high-grade compost, which is certified to British Standard PAS100, for the College’s East End Community Garden Project and hope that it will provide a haven for nature and students alike.”
The Community Garden project has seen, over the past three years, the transformation of a piece of wasteground at the junction of Todd Street and Carntyne Road to create a peaceful and bio-diverse greenspace.
With environmental sustainability and learning at the core of the project’s vision, staff and students from the College have worked to design and build an inspirational and absorbing space which hosts: a poly-tunnel where students can grow vegetables and herbs for the training kitchen and local community ; a garden tool shed and bird observatory; wheelchair accessible gym equipment; benches and dedicated seating areas; frog life ponds; recycled wooden planters; brick planters made by the students; a recycled tyre wall; vegetable and flower growing areas; biodiverse plants to encourage insect life; fruit trees; recycling waste bins; and a wheelchair compliant route around the garden along with many more environmental features to attract urban wildlife and add pleasure to the garden experience.
Mental wellbeing and health for College students and the local community is of real significance, especially in the current pandemic, and it is hoped that the garden goes some way to creating a haven and escape from some of the societal pressures everyone is experiencing.
Glasgow Kelvin College works with a range of contractor organisations which help it to hold to its UN Sustainable Development Goals commitment and is thrilled that Enva has supported its vision in this way.
Head of Facilities and Environmental Sustainability, Iain Gordon, said;
“Enva is one of our valued partners and we are delighted that they have been willing to assist us in our efforts. Achieving long-term sustainability for our communities and our organisation is critical to global carbon reduction and our Community Garden has certainly benefited from their generosity. We are extremely grateful for this donation of compost and hope that, with continued work from our students and staff, the garden goes from strength to strength.”
