Celebrating Earth Day and the Eco Savvy shop
On Monday 22nd April, Arran Eco Savvy commemorated Earth Day, which also marked 10 years of the Eco Savvy Community shop! The team organised an event in Whiting Bay to celebrate, with activities including the Zero Waste Café, nature walks, an Eco Savvy shop sale, as well as e-bike trials and bike fix sessions. The following is taken from an article by Lara-Louisa Winnington Ingram on the Eco Savvy website. Featured image shows the Eco Savvy shop in Whiting Bay. All photo credits: Arran Eco Savvy.
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future.
It takes place on April 22nd and the official theme this year is Planet vs Plastics!
Think About Plastic Arran work to reduce plastic waste. In January 2019, Arran became the first community in Scotland to receive the ‘Plastic-Free’ accreditation. Of course Arran is not ‘plastic-free’ (just yet!) But this was the first step on Arran’s journey in reducing plastic footprint.
A Decade of The Eco Savvy Community Shop
The Eco Savvy Community Shop is growing up fast and is now into double digits! This can only be accredited to the many hard-working volunteers in the shop throughout the last ten years.
From Humble Beginnings: The Founding of Eco Savvy
It all started in Whiting Bay with Barbara I`Anson and Esther Brown and the realisation that something must be done about the amount of waste heading to landfill. The shop to date has saved more than 100 tonnes of waste going to landfill!
Eco Savvy Volunteers
What one person considers to be worthless or unimportant can be highly valued by someone else. This now sustains a thriving charity shop with 17 volunteers and a part time shop manager. Working behind the scenes sorting donations, fixing and PAT testing electrical items, helping transport waste to the recycle centre (not everything is salvageable), running creative workshops using materials donated to the shop, washing and ironing, in short going the extra mile!
Looking Ahead: Towards a Sustainable Future
As we look ahead to the next decade, we invite you to join our mission! Whether through volunteering, participating in projects, or simply embracing sustainable practices in daily life, everyone has a role to play in building a greener, more resilient future. With 10 years behind us, Eco Savvy is ready to embark on the next chapter of our journey towards a more sustainable Arran. Here’s to another 10 years of innovation, collaboration, and positive change!
Eco Savvy is a great place to volunteer, providing variety and support in whatever aspect of AES interests you; the shop, the travel hub, the zero waste café, the green islands project or the reuse/recycle creative workshops. 10 years done, now let’s go for 20!
For more information or to volunteer with a particular project please contact:
nikki@arranecosavvy.org.uk – Shop
emma@arranecosavvy.org.uk – Active Travel
jess@arranecosavvy.org.uk – Zero Waste Cafe
helen@arranecosavvy.org.uk – Green Islands Initiative
And for the latest Eco Savvy news and upcoming events, follow this link
