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Nature & Environmental Charities
Every year, the world dumps an astounding 12.2 billion tons of waste and this is largely due to the fact that 99% of everything we buy is discarded within 6 months.
Over one and a half million tons of this waste is dumped into the world’s oceans, killing more than 100 million marine animals (such as fish, sea turtles and dolphins) each year – usually when they become entangled in plastic or ingest it.
If we want to have a planet we’re proud of, and one that’s capable of sustaining future generations, we have to act now to protect and preserve it.
There are many things you can do day-to-day to make a difference, such as recycling household waste correctly and taking unwanted items to charity shops rather than throwing them away. But, if you would like to join a greater planet-saving mission, you can help charities such as Greenpeace or Olio . These environmental charities make a huge effort to keep our world clean and tidy, making it a nicer and safer place for all.
If you want to support a nature or environmental charity, there are a wide range of opportunities to choose from – see below.
Collect and distribute unwanted food
Olio recruit food waste volunteers to collect unwanted food from local shops and cafes. You will be responsible for collecting the food, taking it home and listing it online. Neighbours and people in the community will then register their interest and you will redistribute it to them within a few hours. If you are passionate about reducing food waste and you have a minimum of 2 hours to spare each week, then this could be the role for you.
Collect and cook unwanted food
Food Cycle also recruit volunteers to rescue food from businesses that would otherwise be thrown out. It then gets taken to one of 39 Food Cycle projects around the UK where volunteers turn it into delicious 3 course meals, which are served to members of the community. You can choose whether you volunteer to collect or to cook the food.
Clean up
There are opportunities across the country to clean up areas badly affected by litter. The Keep Britain Tidy project runs clean up events where an army of volunteers come together to pick up litter in local communities and natural spaces e.g. beaches. Commitment is flexible, as you can pick and choose whether you attend an event as a one off, or whether you want to attend them all.Join a political lobbying network
When it comes to environmental issues, it’s often the behind the scenes work of volunteers in local communities that achieve the biggest changes. Greenpeace need passionate individuals to research, write and present persuasive arguments to MPs, councillors and other decision makers in their local area. These arguments could initially be presented in the form of a letter or an email, but you may even go on to fight for change in face-to-face meetings. If you want to influence change in your local area, then sign up below.Which charities can I support?
Greenpeace, Keep Britain Tidy, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Food Cycle, Love Food Hate WasteWhy volunteer later in life?
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