Sustainable island life can be a reality with Eco Savvy
Eco Savvy has enjoyed a constructive year spreading the word about sustainability, waste reduction and the advantages of living a more eco-friendly lifestyle through its Sustainable Island Life Project.
With the support of the Arran community, many facets of the project have proved to be hugely successful with the long-term benefits already becoming clear.
Split into various categories that encompass just some of these changes and developments, a number of tangible milestones have been reached.
Travel and transport
Eco Savvy currently has 10 ebikes being used by Arran organisations for its Arran eBike Challenge – a scheme where Arran businesses can borrow ebikes for their staff to use for their commute to and from work. There have been nine businesses that have taken part to date with roughly 2,500 car miles eliminated. Five people have also since gone on to purchase ebikes with many more wanting to do so. The ebike trials have proved to be extremely popular at events, with 112 people testing them so far.
Eco Savvy has expanded the project and now also has trailers and an etrike available for trial.
Many Arran residents have also benefited from advice from Eco Savvy travel coordinators Andrew Binnie and Emma Tracey on the best ebike for their needs, where to buy an bike and information on loan schemes and financial assistance to buy one.
Energy help
The project has delivered audits for 20 per cent of Arran’s homes.
Hundreds of households on Arran have implemented measures such as draught proofing and installed energy monitors as a result of visits from energy auditor Charlotte Mann. This too has reduced a huge amount of carbon.
Eco Savvy continues to run energy drop-in surgeries every Tuesday from 10am to 3pm where people can just pop in to the Eco Savvy office at Home Farm and speak to the energy auditor about any questions they might have relating to their heating, lighting, energy bills, insulation or anything home energy related.
It is also currently offering free energy audits for Arran homes, offering help on different ways for residents to reduce their energy use and bills. Contact the office on 303026 for information.
With the assistance of Eco Savvy, 10 air source heat pumps have been installed, and four solar PV installations, both of which have helped to save 55.2 tonnes of carbon emissions annually on Arran.
Food share
There is a food share resource on Arran four nights a week, Tuesday in Whiting Bay, Thursday in Brodick, Friday in Lamlash and, just newly started, Sunday in Shiskine. The food share is where food from the Co-op is collected and given out free of charge.
The food is nearing its use by date and needs to be used or it ends up being discarded.
In the past 11 months Eco Savvy has held more than 150 food share nights with more than 5.1 tonnes/£24,000-worth of food going to people rather than landfill.
Eco Savvy has also been holding food information and cooking workshops, with the most recent being the BYOPumpkin event.
An intrepid group met to carve out their spooky Hallowe’en pumpkins and learned that more than eight million pumpkins – equivalent to more than 18,000 tonnes of edible pumpkin flesh – will be heading for the bin because the majority of people don’t eat it or use it for anything but ornaments.
Following on from pumpkin carving, the group enjoyed a pumpkin-cooking party, including the tasting and making of pumpkin cake, pumpkin tacos, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin soup and sweet and savoury roasted pumpkin seeds.
Eco Savvy is continuing its sustainability drive and environmental awareness campaign with a number of upcoming events.
Sustainable Arran
What if the island was isolated from the mainland? How could it cope with an extreme weather event? Or an influx of extra-terrestrial tourists? With £10 million to spend and a role to play, islanders are being asked to join a fun evening of creative and collaborative game play and help to tackle the challenges illustrated by these fictional disaster scenarios.
It will take place at the Ormidale Pavilion from 5pm on Monday November 11, entrance is free and cake will be provided. See letters page.
Stay warm, stay well
A stay warm, stay well event will be led by guest speaker Barbara Atterson from Energy Action Scotland.
It campaigns for an end to fuel poverty in Scotland and is the only national charity with this sole remit. The free event will begin with Barbara’s presentation followed by a lunch break, with soup from Ferghan Mhor B&B in Sannox. There will be a winter wear jumble sale from the Arran Eco Savvy shop and it will conclude with an interactive energy game.
The event will provide advice on how to turn a cold, damp house into a comfortable and warm home, and how to handle high bills and energy suppliers, and be signposted to relevant financial grants/assistance.
Stay warm, stay well – get ready for winter will take place at Corrie Hall on Tuesday November 12, 11.30am-1.45pm.
Secondary glazing
A secondary glazing event will be led by guest speaker Dr Tanya Ewing from Glaze and Save. Glaze and Save is an award-winning bespoke magnetic secondary glazing and draught proofing company. Tanya has, through her inventions and companies, won several awards, including British female inventor of the year and Vibes environmental award.
She will be available after the event for home visits to assist with reducing condensation, heating bills and noise from outside without the expensive price tag of double glazing. There will also be an opportunity to speak to a representative from Home Energy Scotland about an interest free loan available up to £4,000 for secondary glazing improvements.
The secondary glazing event will take place at Home Farm, Brodick, on Friday November 15, 12.30pm-1.30pm.
Savvy traveller drop-ins
Eco Savvy is launching a new drop-in service for information on all things travel from an ecological perspective.
Visitors are invited to drop in at the Eco Savvy offices at Home Farm, Brodick, on the last Tuesday of the month between 10am and 3pm where they can try out an ebike, speak to the team about what ebike/etrike might be best for them, and gain advice on where to buy.
Eco Savvy does not sell ebikes so advice is completely impartial.
The travel co-ordinators can also give advice on financial assistance, safety tips and accessories for ebikes, safe cycle routes, electric vehicles, driving efficiently, as well as a host of other sustainable travel and transport topics.