Veolia has given new life to eight preloved bulk bins which form part of the CROP-UPS installation taking centre stage at the Royal Hampton Court Garden Festival from 6 – 11 July. The bins were donated to community interest group, The Community Brain, through Veolia’s Sustainability Fund.
The CROP-UPS display will feature a central allotment pavilion, surrounded by bulk bins that have been repurposed as planters to grow fruit and vegetables. Each bin, painted by local artist WeAreSkyHigh, has been adopted by local community groups to take with them after the festival. The green installation was designed as part of The Community Brain’s award-winning SHEDx project programme and encourages visitors to reimagine space and inspire a crop up in planters across the country.
Veolia wanted to support CROP-UPS as it is an excellent example of communities transforming environments into places that support a sustainable future for everyone. Veolia’s Sustainability Fund launched on World Environment Day this year, 5th June, supports projects up and down the country that make a positive, sustainable difference to local areas and deliver long-term social and environmental benefits.
Scott Edgell, South London Waste Partnership General Manager, Veolia, said:
“We are always on the lookout to find green grassroots projects to support through our Sustainability Fund. Thanks to our Kingston team and wider Veolia networks, we were able to support The Community Brain in developing this creative way of upcycling pre-loved bulk bins into planters that can be used by local community groups to grow fruit and vegetables. We hope the installation will encourage visitors of the Royal Hampton Court Garden Festival to think outside the box and create sustainable ways of reusing items and growing food locally.”
Georgia Neesham, Project Co-ordinator, The Community Brain said: “Gardening has taken on a renewed sense of importance in people’s lives over the past year in lockdown and we particularly appreciate the role which allotments have played in reducing stress, reconnecting with neighbours, appreciating local wildlife and in learning about where our food comes from. CROP-UPS are a proposal for pop-up food growing spaces in urban areas with long allotment waiting lists where people are finding it difficult to gain access. We would like to say a big thank you to Veolia for supporting the growth of this idea.”
Find out more about Veolia’s Sustainability Fund and how you can apply at: Veolia.co.uk/Sustainability-Fund.
