Environmental Responsibility
Council and its partners recognise the fundamental importance of parks and open spaces to the quality of life of our citizens. The important contribution that permanent landscapes make to the environment, cultural, social and economic benefits of the city are recognised.
Through a range of strategies and initiatives Council aims to provide cleaner, greener and safer spaces in delivering the urban renaissance and quality of life agenda.
Specifically Council manages and maintains 320 ha of green space. This is complemented by the NI Housing Executive estate of 140 hectares of formal grass and 14 hectares landscape areas in the Derry City Council Area.
The approach roads into the city are greatly enhanced by landscaped frontages with well-established and new developments contributing greatly to the overall visual “green” impact that you experience on a visit to the city.
The contribution from local hospitals, educational and industrial facilities are noteworthy. Of these Magee Campus of the University of Ulster is a prime example and a short synopsis of what it has to offer is given below.
An inner city University covering 12.8ha the institution prides itself in maintaining the campus gardens, lawns, woodland and sports facilities (covering 6.5ha) to a high standard. In the spring of the year drifts of narcissus and crocus adorn main lawns, and across the campus is a wonderful collection of Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Fine collections of mature trees including Beech, Acer, Ash, Chestnuts, Lime, and Walnuts and of course Oak (closely associated with the history of the city) offers wonderful shape and colour. Herbaceous, perennial and annual plants are prominent around the campus buildings including Hosta’s, Lilies, Berginia, the variety in annuals would include Begonia’s, Impatiens and Geraniums. The University is very much a part of the city, with local people working, studying or using the facilities in a whole range of ways.
Recycling Education Programme
Derry City Council's Recycle Website
Derry City Council is continuing to offer an exciting recycling education programme to local schools within the district aimed at stimulating awareness of the many issues associated with waste and of the range of solutions available through waste minimisation and recycling activities.
A free education programme is being offered to all nursery, primary and secondary schools in the Derry City Council area.
The programme aims to make a positive difference by educating children about the problems associated with waste and how they can foster individual responsibility for changing habits. All issues within the programme have been designed to target a wide variety of elements within the Programmes of Study within the current Northern Ireland Curriculum.
Free Compost Bin for all Derry City Council Schools
All schools in the Derry City Council area can claim a free compost bin for use on school grounds in an effort to boost recycling awareness among young people. More than 10 local schools have already taken up the offer and are using the bins to create compost for their gardening clubs.
Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste your school throws away. With the healthy eating programmes now well established there is considerable biodegradable waste that could be composted instead of being destined for landfill. Then there is the waste from the staff room, such as tea bags, apple cores and so on. Many schools now have small areas as a student garden making composting at school an ideal project. Composting at school can easily be linked to the national curriculum and at the same time shows how easy it is to deal with the waste we create in an environmentally friendly way - this all helps to encourage responsible behaviour as we become adults. * A limited number of bins are available.
For more information on Derry City Council's Recycling Initiative click here
Mayoral Anti-Litter Campaign
Following on from their success in winning the Anti-Litter Mayoral campaign spearheaded by former Mayor Councillor Gerard Diver, Lisneal College, unveiled their ‘Live In Your Litter’ Anti-litter DVD.
The school were awarded the top prize of £1000 to spend on environmental initiatives within the school to highlight the problem of litter and the importance of looking after our environment.
As part of the project Year 10 pupils, for the duration of one week, ate their break and lunch in their classroom, subsequently leaving their rubbish and leaving it build up over the 5 days. To chart the experiment a video diary logged the thoughts and feelings of the students at various stages throughout the week. The DVD is now available for general educational use.
The second prize was jointly won by St Joseph’s Boys School and Thornhill College, who each received £400 to spend on environmental initiatives within their schools.
St Joseph’s winning campaign was entitled “What A Waste Day” and comprises of a day for our young people to clean up their city in order to raise awareness of litter in the schools and wider communities. The topic of Thornhill College’s Campaign is to use modern technologies to highlight the connection between electronic waste and conventional street waste. Their message is to highlight the fact that if students adopt the same approach to conventional rubbish they do to emails, junk mail, old texts, and the problem with litter will improve. They have created a message with texts and images, which can be communicated via email, and multi media messages.
The runners up in the competition were St Cecilia’s College and St Patrick’s and St. Brigid’s College in Claudy, who both received £100 to spend on environmental initiatives within their schools.
North West Waste Management Plan
www.northwestwasteplan.org.uk/
The North West Waste Management Plan sets out how Councils within the North West Waste Management Group, will deal with waste arisings in the area over forthcoming years. The Waste Management section of City Engineer’s Department have produced a draft programme of works detailing actions to be undertaken as part of the plan, these are as follows:
- Identify recycling operators regionally and nationally
- Develop an Awareness, Publicity and Promotion
- Develop additional Civic Amenity Recycling Centres
- Provision of Bottle Banks
- Implementation of Home Composting Scheme
- Commencement of 2nd Wheeled Bin Collection
Schools and local organisations are being encouraged to participate in a recycling collection scheme. Facilities will be provided for the collection of paper, plastic bottles, tins and cans.
For more information on The North West Waste Management Plan click here