Sustainability Work at the Old Boat
At The Old Boat, we’re proud to be a beacon of sustainability in our community. We are committed to living more lightly on the planet by finding creative, practical ways to reduce our environmental impact. By embracing circular habits—like composting food scraps and repurposing materials—we turn what might be “waste” into valuable resources. From our community garden to our daily operations, we are working hard to conserve natural resources and lower our carbon footprint, one step at a time.
We aren’t just meeting the legal standards for waste and resource management; we’re actively looking for smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. By keeping our operations efficient and waste-conscious, we ensure that your support is working as hard as possible to create a greener, more sustainable future for our community.Â
Food Use Places and Composting
The Old Boat is one of the 16 community organisations, working together across East Sussex as part of the Food Use Places project, aiming to tackle food and packaging waste. Together we intend to minimise food’s impact on our climate through the creation of a new norm – a food use mind set.
When food waste ends up in a landfill, it rots and releases harmful greenhouse gases—in fact, wasted food accounts for nearly 10% of all UK emissions. We’re changing that. Since becoming a Beacon composting project in 2023, we’ve been turning our food scraps into something useful instead of letting them contribute to climate change.
Using our Juraforma tumbler composter, we’ve already composted over 5 tonnes of food waste—that’s about a wheelie bin’s worth every single month! This has produced nearly 2 tonnes of nutrient-rich compost, which goes directly back into our community garden to help our plants grow. It’s a simple, local loop that helps us tackle climate change one scrap at a time.Â
We are reducing food waste by:
- Â Â Looking at the way we work and reducing what is being wasted
- composting wherever possible
- Â Â Working with partners to redistribute food through our communityÂ
- Â Â Sourcing food and drinks with packaging that can be recycled or composted (not buying products in single use plastic)
- Â Â Deliver staff and volunteer training to manage the compost system so that it works effectively and be involved in making decisions that would make our organisation better for the planet.
Recycling &Green Wall of Change
We are committed to making recycling simple, effective, and community-focused.
As of March 2025, regulations now require businesses with more than 10 employees to separate their waste into distinct streams: food, paper/card, plastics, glass, and metal. We didn’t just meet these standards—we used them as an opportunity to rethink our impact. By partnering with local recycling specialists Reccora at the start of 2025, we completely overhauled our waste systems.
Our Impact in Numbers
Our commitment to doing it right is paying off:
- Cafe Success: We now recycle over 70% of our cafe waste, alongside a robust composting program.
- Center-wide Achievement: In our first 12 months, we achieved a 100% recycling rate—significantly higher than the 75% national average.
- Zero Contamination: Because we take the time to sort our waste properly, none of our recycling has been rejected.
- Waste Diverted: We have successfully diverted 1.5 tonnes of waste from the bin.
The Green Wall of Change
We know that recycling can be confusing, and we wanted to ensure we were supporting you as much as possible. In August 2025, we carried out a recycling survey, and in April 2026, we hosted ‘Waste’ focus groups to better understand the support our community needs—especially regarding the new city-wide food waste collection scheme.
The feedback we gathered led directly to the creation of our Green Wall of Change in the café. This is your dedicated resource hub, designed to share the clear, practical information you asked for, helping us all recycle confidently at the Old Boat and at home.
Community Garden & Enviromental Sustainability
Our garden is the living, breathing heart of The Old Boat. More than just a green space, it’s a hub of activity where our growing team of volunteers turns waste into energy and nature into nourishment. We are actively nurturing this space to support local wildlife, grow healthy food for our community, and provide a welcoming place for everyone to relax.
How we’re growing for the future:
- Smart Water Use: We’re collecting and storing rainwater to keep our compost system healthy and nourish our new “food forest.” Because The Old Boat is in a flood-risk area, we’re also turning this challenge into an opportunity, sharing simple ways for you to capture and use this precious resource at home.
- Nature-Led Gardening: We believe in letting nature do the work. By using companion planting—placing flowers alongside vegetables—we invite pollinators into the garden, which helps our food grow naturally and vibrantly.
- Supporting Wildlife: We are creating a thriving wildlife habitat, recognizing that a healthy ecosystem is essential for productive food growth.
- A Growing Food Forest: We are currently planting a food forest designed specifically to supply our community pantry. This will help us provide fresh, healthy produce for those in our neighborhood who need it most.
- A Space for Everyone: Above all, this is your space. We’ve designed the garden to be a natural, inclusive haven for everyone—people and wildlife alike. Whether you’re here to get your hands dirty or simply sit and enjoy the greenery, you are welcome here.
Building Efficency
Thanks to a grant from VCSE Groundworks, we have completed some vital upgrades to our building. With the help of the fantastic team at ACG Property Services, we overhauled our heating and lighting, refurbished our windows and doors, and improved insulation throughout the center.
It was a huge team effort—we went from funding notification to full completion in just a few months! These improvements have made the center warmer, more energy-efficient, and far more welcoming for everyone. Most importantly, lower running costs mean we can put more of our budget directly into supporting our community.
We are so grateful to everyone who made these improvements possible. Together, you have helped us create a space that is not only more sustainable and efficient but truly a home for our whole community.
Sustainability Policy
Sustainability is a commitment we take seriously. We are dedicated to making sure that everything we do, from the daily running of the centre to our long-term planning, is as kind to the planet as possible. We review our goals regularly, and we invite our partners, suppliers, and community to do the same.
Over the next 12 months, our key promises are to:
- Aim to do things the right way: Stay on top of all environmental regulations and best practices to ensure we’re meeting the highest standards.
- Keep getting better: We are constantly looking for new ways to reduce our waste and improve how efficiently we run our building.
- Make green decisions: We now factor environmental impact into every major business decision we make.
- Bring the team along: We are ensuring every member of our staff is trained, supported, and empowered to be an environmental champion in their day-to-day work.
Purchasing Policy
At The Old Boat, we believe that every purchase is an opportunity to live more sustainably. We are currently developing a new purchasing guide to ensure that how we spend our resources—and the resources you entrust to us—reflects our commitment to the planet.
We are moving away from a “buy new” mindset and towards a more circular approach by following these five principles:
- Prioritise Quality: When we do need to buy new, we invest in the best quality available to ensure products last as long as possible.
- Second-Hand First: We actively look for second-hand items before considering anything new, giving pre-loved goods a second life.
- Borrow or Rent: We look for ways to borrow or rent what we need instead of purchasing items that will only be used occasionally.
- Find it for Free: We keep an eye out for ways to procure what we need for free, reducing waste and our environmental footprint simultaneously.
- Repair, Don’t Replace: We are committed to repairing and maintaining our equipment to extend the life of everything we own.
- By making these thoughtful choices, we aren’t just saving money—we’re making sure that we are being the best possible stewards of the resources that keep our community center running.Â
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