Doncaster's recycling efforts create £5,000 boost for community environmental projects

SUEZ and City of Doncaster Council marked the latest round of the Doncaster Environment Fund at St Catherine’s House, bringing together this year’s successful groups on Thursday 10 September, ahead of Recycle Week.

The annual fund has a direct link to recycling carried out by Doncaster residents. SUEZ collects small electrical items from households at the kerbside, with proceeds from the material contributing to the Environment Fund and being reinvested into community environmental projects across the city.

This year, 11 applications were received with eight organisations being successful. Two groups received grants of £1,000 with the other six gaining grants of £500.

The two £1,000 awards have been made to Fashion Fusion CIC and Froglife.

• Fashion Fusion CIC will use its award to deliver ‘Doncaster Wardrobe Rescue’, a series of four free clothes swap events alongside opportunities for residents to learn basic repair skills. The project aims to rehome more than 1,200 garments, with further unwanted clothing donated for reuse and items beyond wear sent for textile recycling. It will also encourage residents to develop the skills and confidence to repair and reuse clothing rather than throw it away.
• Froglife’s Coalface to Wildspace project will create six wildlife ponds at Bentley Community Woodland, providing new habitats for amphibians, dragonflies, birds and other wildlife. Local volunteers will be involved in creating the ponds and will have the opportunity to develop practical conservation and green skills while helping to improve an important local green space.

Six further projects have each received £500:

• Flourish Enterprises CIC will create an accessible raised planting area within the historic walled gardens at St Catherine’s House, using reclaimed materials and creating opportunities for inclusive gardening, volunteering and biodiversity improvements.
• Southfield Forest School will develop an outdoor learning environment through native planting, wildlife habitats and environmental education, helping children learn about biodiversity, recycling and caring for their environment.
• National Literacy Trust will encourage children from local primary schools to explore environmental issues through poetry and illustration, culminating in an environmental poetry book and community event.
• Balby Thriving Together will expand its community growing activities through accessible raised beds, gardening equipment and growing materials helping local people grow fresh food while creating opportunities to spend time outdoors and connect with others.
• Townfield Community Group will bring children and families together to build and decorate bat boxes while learning about local wildlife and biodiversity, creating potential new roosting habitats across the community.
• Kirton Lane Primary School will improve its forest area by installing bark surfacing to create a safer, year-round learning environment and purchasing essential equipment such as tools and tarps.

Since it was established in 2019, the Fund has donated more than £80,000 to local community groups and charities. This week marks UK Recycle Week 2026.

This year’s campaign is focused on demonstrating the value of rescuing recyclable materials from general waste and keeping them in circulation – a principle at the heart of the Doncaster Environment Fund.

Lars Styrg, Contract General Manager at SUEZ, said: “Recycle Week is a great opportunity to remind people that the things we recycle really do have value, and the Doncaster Environment Fund is a fantastic example of that in action. The small electrical items residents put out for recycling help generate funding which we can then reinvest back into communities. This year’s successful projects range from repairing and reusing clothes to creating new ponds, and I would like to congratulate all eight organisations and look forward to seeing the difference their projects make.”

Deputy Mayor of Doncaster Cllr Glyn Jones, portfolio holder for Environment and Housing, said: “This is a fabulous initiative with every single group awarded fully deserved funding. It was a delight to attend the ceremony last week and hear about all the projects – all community projects which will serve local communities in Doncaster."

“I want to thank everyone involved in this scheme – finding a way to help and promote the community in this way is something we will always support, and I can’t wait to hear how the projects develop over the next few months.”

Small electrical appliances including items such as kettles and toasters, can be placed in a carrier bag next to a household’s blue bin or green box for kerbside collection. The greater the volume of small electrical items collected for recycling, the more resources can be generated to support future projects through the Doncaster Environment Fund.