By Nicolas Nino-Ramirez, Sustainable Development and Social Enterprise Lead at Camphill School Aberdeen

I was recently asked to speak about Camphill School Aberdeen’s circular projects at Circular Communities Scotland’s Members Forum event in Aberdeen. This event brought together members and others in the region who are passionate about the circular economy and want to learn more about community projects happening in the area.

Sustainability has been a big part of life at Camphill School Aberdeen for over 80 years. We’re constantly looking for new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and have a positive impact on our surrounding environment.

My role involves leading and developing our sustainability strategy. I also head up our Sustainability Action Group, which was formed to ensure everyone at Camphill School Aberdeen was involved when we carried out our Sustainability Self-Assessment over three years ago. Subsequently, this group supported the full delivery of our Sustainability Operational plan and, currently, ensures all our sustainability procedures are adhered to. The group also aims to help Camphill School Aberdeen reach net-zero by 2047, our Carbon Reduction Plan will be released in early 2025.

In this blog, I’m going to share some of our circular economy projects discussed in my Members Forum presentation.

Mutual respect for the environment

One of Camphill School Aberdeen’s founding principles is to have mutual respect for each other and the environment. Whether you’re a day or residential student, a member of staff or a volunteer, everyone in our community has a role to play in ensuring our environment is sustained for generations to come.

From land to plate

A main feature of a circular economy is maximising resource use. At Camphill School Aberdeen, we’re lucky that our three estates have lots of green space which allows us to have our own walled gardens and farm. This allows us to grow fruit and vegetables that are distributed across the estate to our residential homes and kitchen workshop. Food waste or any leftovers are then composted and used as organic fertilizer in our gardens, promoting the growth of more fruits and vegetables. We also contribute any surplus produce to local food banks.

Setting the wheels in motion

Another ongoing circular project we run is our bike workshop. Bikes are brought in by staff, students, members of the local community, and our partners to be repaired or undergo maintenance. These bikes are then either used on our estate, returned to the owner, or donated to community projects.

For example, we donated bikes to Scottish Cycling’s Mini Riders programme, delivered by Sport Aberdeen. The bikes were given to Ukrainian children living in Aberdeen to help them develop their cycling confidence and learn about road safety. The project aimed to provide opportunities to communities across the city who face barriers to engaging in sport and physical activity.

Importantly, this project provides our young people with meaningful skills, helping to unlock their potential, while also promoting active lifestyles.

An enterprising future

And what do we have coming in the future? A circular economy project that we’ve been working on behind the scenes is almost ready to launch! Murtle Market, a refillery, shop, and café, will open to the public from the end of November.

Our first public-facing venture, Murtle Market will showcase our sustainable principles in a number of ways. The food stocked in the shop comes from our own walled gardens as well as other local growers who use the same sustainable practices as us. By eating locally, you shorten the food chain, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint of what's on your plate.

Murtle Market will also display and sell arts and crafts that have been created by the young people in our art and felt workshops. These workshops upcycle, repurpose or create new items out of recycled materials, further promoting a circular economy.

Our other onsite workshops also all have the opportunity to contribute to Murtle Market. Mugs created by young people in the pottery workshop will be used for hot drinks, flowers from our garden will be displayed, the bike shop will also create art from recycled bike parts, and more!

If you or your organisation would like to support any of these circular projects, get in touch at circular-economy@crss.org.uk.