A number of volunteers and children in Birmingham helped decorate a recycling bank in an effort to promote recycling and discourage fly tipping.

Nechells in Bloom, a group of local residents and service providers, led the project. They enlisted children from local schools and playgroups to create a floral montage on the new paper and card recycling bank in New Hope Community Park.

The group works in conjunction with the environmental wardens and street cleansing departments of Birmingham City Council to enhance the Nechells area by picking up litter, removing graffiti and clearing weeds.

One of the founders of the group, Veronica Edwards, explained: “We wanted to make it easier for people in Nechells to recycle their paper and card but had to think carefully about how to deter fly tippers and vandals. We know from experience that when you brighten an area up the crime rate drops. The decorations on the paper bank – and the garden we are planning around it – instantly make the space personal and people do respect that.”

Paper and card collected through the recycling bank and the city’s doorstep collection scheme is re-processed by the nearby paper mill. Packaging supplier Smurfit Kappa provided full funding for the recycling bank, montage and mill.

Operations director at Smurfit Kappa SSK, Paul Freeman commented:“The Smurfit Kappa paper mill has long played an active role in the Nechells community. We are always keen to work with local schools to educate young people about the manufacturing processes involved in paper making and the importance of recycling.”

Jackie Jones, Principal Playworker at the Nechells Play Centre, said:“The children have really enjoyed designing the bin and it’s been a fun way for them to learn about recycling. It has also provided them with a good introduction to the importance of environmental issues in general and reinforces the work we already do in recycling all of our paper, cans and plastic bottles, as well as growing our own vegetables and herbs.”