CommunityR4C is a community-led initiative to provide economic, social and environmental benefits for Gloucestershire by treating our waste as a valuable resource rather than burning or burying it.
Our main aim is to help build an advanced, commercially sustainable recovery and recycling plant which can turn more than 90% of the county’s waste into valuable materials for sale and re-use.
Community R4C Ltd was founded in 2015 and incorporated in 2016 as a Community Benefit Society. It has raised over £200,000 in community support and shareholding, and many £100k’s of pro-bono and subsidised legal support. It has many hundreds of supporters and members, including well known names Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Porritt and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. In 2021 the community business was wound up (closed) by Gloucestershire County Council funded action despite extensive cross party objection. See here (link to vindictive news release). The name Community R4C and work – towards a community supported circular economy in Gloucestershire.
Community R4C was founded with objects to achieve the protection and preservation of the environment for the public benefit by
- The promotion of waste reduction, re-use, reclamation, recycling, the use of recycled products, and the use of surplus.
- Advancing the education of the public about all aspects of waste generation, waste management, waste recycling and the circular economy.
- (The promotion of such other activities and initiatives that contribute to and stimulate the development of a local circular resource economy.
Once the recycling plant is running, a percentage of its profit will create an ongoing income stream to Community R4C to fulfil these objects in the community.
What is the Circular Economy?
Here’s a very good video from Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Hopefully this will help explain things.