Sustainable Shrivenham
1735. Kate Myrie
1736. Kate Mortiboy
Kate Myrie and Kate Mortiboy, from Oxfordshire, are founders of ‘Sustainable Shrivenham’, a campaign to make their village the first in England with zero waste.
Shrivenham currently has one of the highest rates of recycling in the country, and the pair are aiming to build further on this within their community, coordinating efforts to reduce single-use plastic, educate people about plant-based diets and minimise food waste. The campaign runs a range of groups within the village, such as a composting group, a baby clothes swapping group, and a litter-picking group, as well as running a medicine blister pack collection point, with a volunteer tasked with taking small pieces of burst plastic to a local reuse depot.
In response to receiving the award, Kate Myrie said:
“I am delighted to win this award with my co-founder. The more exposure groups like ours get the more people will see that they can achieve action on their doorsteps for the good of our environment as well their local communities. It doesn’t take an expert to start what we have started, just people with the passion to make changes.”
Kate Mortiboy said:
“This award, with my co-founder Kate Myrie, is a wonderful validation not just of our efforts, but of the way in which the local community is getting behind us. It brings hope that the ambitious plans we have for the future can be brought to fruition. Finding ways to support others to discover and make affordable, sustainable choices in their lives, has been hugely rewarding. We are looking forward to welcoming more and more people to the group and working with them to bring about positive change.”
Photo credit: Adrian Sherratt