A Telford charity has cut its waste by a third after introducing a new recycling system which encourages staff to recycle as much as possible.

Staff at Meeting Point House in Southwater say they are making a big effort to increase the amount they recycle, with an emphasis on educating just as much as reducing the amount thrown away.

Wayne Jenson, chief executive of Meeting Point Trust, said he was keen to embrace the new recycling rules which came into effect in March this year, and the new system was working well.

“New rules were introduced earlier this year which mean businesses and charities like us need to separate their recycling more carefully than before,” he said.

“We wanted to do everything we could to abide by the new rules so we have raised our game to recycle as much as possible.

“As a community hub, cafe and home to a number of charities, with meeting rooms available for use by businesses and organisations, we are in a great position to really make a difference.

“So we now have recycling boxes in all meeting rooms, as well as two large recycling stations where people can easily separate their waste to ensure everything goes in the correct bin.

“It’s taken a bit of time to explain the new rules to the organisations who are based here and those using our meeting rooms, but the results have been fantastic.

“When we started doing it, you realise just how much can actually be recycled and it has massively cut down on the amount of general waste we are throwing away.

“We used to fill three large 1,100 litre wheelie bins every other week, which has now been reduced to two, so that’s a third less rubbish being taken to landfill - and we want to get that even lower over the coming weeks and months.”

Meeting Point House is well-known for the popular Hummingbird Cafe, which serves affordable home-cooked meals and is used by community groups as a place to get together.

Wayne added: “The staff in the cafe have really got on board with the idea of reducing waste as much as possible, which has been great to see.

“Recycling becomes a habit and we are proud at Meeting Point House to be doing our bit to reduce waste and work in a more sustainable way.”

For more information about Meeting Point House, visit the website at www.meetingpointhouse.co.uk