Fordingbridge becomes first town to twin a bin

Members of Fordingbridge Twinning Association gathered in Fordingbridge Recreation Ground to celebrate the occasion and chose one of the bins to display the special sticker which says “This bin is twinned with a plastics recycling centre in the Demographic Republic of Congo (DRC)”.

Chair of the Fordingbridge Twinning Association Alison Ayling said: “Fordingbridge Twinning Association is proud to put our town on the map as the first town to twin a bin. This wonderful project uses money donated to fund brand-new social enterprises overseas that collect rubbish, dispose of it safely, and recycle as much as possible creating jobs for society’s most vulnerable people. Anyone can twin a bin and we hope others will follow our lead.”

Funds for the special twin-bin in Fordingbridge, raised by the Fordingbridge Twinning Association, are helping to support a social enterprise in the capital of the DRC, Kinshasa.

The project will create jobs as well as community action groups for nearly 4,000 people who will collect plastic waste and recycle it into marketable products such as brooms and paving blocks. The initiative is also lobbying the government to implement existing legislation to prohibit the import and sale of specific plastics.

This unique twinning opportunity has been made possible thanks to Bin Twinning, sister charity to Toilet Twinning. Brainchild of charity CEO Lorraine Kingsley, Bin Twinning aims to help ‘put a lid on poverty’ and prevent diseases caused by plastic pollution and rubbish.

Lorraine added: “I’m passionate about helping to transform the lives of some of the poorest people on the planet. I’ve sat and wept with women who have lost their children to preventable disease, who have been attacked or shamed as a result of not having a loo. I’m thrilled we’re now supporting communities who have come together in a social enterprise to collect waste, end plastic pollution and prevent diseases caused by rubbish being burnt in the open.”

After making a donation to the charity, Bin Twinning sends out a sturdy sticker to display on your kitchen compost, outside rubbish, wheelie or commercial bin to show your support and promote the work of the charity.

Jo Heath, youth, children and families development Worker at Avon Valley Churches, who initially suggested the idea for the town, said: “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone in Fordingbridge got on board with Bin Twinning and there were twinned bins all over the town and nearby villages.”

Visit: bintwinning.org

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