Diversity and Equality Awards

The Les Amis Recycling Team was set up to serve the dual purpose of creating more employment opportunities for Les Amis residents and to help the States of Jersey hit its target to recycle 36% of the island’s waste.

Les Amis, one of Jersey’s largest charities, is primarily a residential and respite service provider that offers differing levels of care for islanders with learning disabilities. The ultimate aim of the charity is to ensure that residents reach their full potential and enjoy a good day every day.

Many of Les Amis’ residents want to feel like they are contributing to society and so having the responsibility of a job gives them a sense of purpose. Finding employment is often residents’ ultimate goal. Having a stable job that they can call their own is incredibly beneficial to their mental wellbeing.

In 2017 the Association of Jersey Charities chose to invest in the Les Amis Recycling Team initiative. The money donated paid for a van which meant the charity could win contracts across the island and start performing its recycling service.

The Les Amis Recycling Team currently consists of two employees, one a resident of Les Amis with a learning disability, the other a support worker. It was a lifelong dream of this particular resident to work fulltime and the creation of the Les Amis Recycling Team has given him the opportunity to work. Les Amis is very careful to ensure he is working within his capabilities but very quickly this young gentleman has become the face of the charity within the local community. The pride he feels is contagious and all of his customers praise him for his enthusiasm and dedication to his role. Now, it is not unusual to find him in the boardroom of local companies discussing Les Amis’ Recycling scheme to Managing Directors.

Currently the team recycles paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, cooking oil and metal/aluminum cans. The Les Amis Recycling Team visits 12 companies to do their recycling and goes to 35 premises to collect their oil. 40 tonnes of cooking oil has been recycled to date by the team. It is filtered and then sent to the UK to be turned into bio fuel. The company in the UK is very complimentary and says it is the cleanest oil it has ever received which makes it easier to recycle.

Jason Loveless, Head of Support Services at Les Amis, said: “The success of the Les Amis recycling team has been tremendous and we are so thankful to everyone who has supported the scheme so far. We look forward to seeing it grow so it can help more residents and recycle more waste around Jersey. The Les Amis Recycling Team does cost £460.00 a week to run in terms of time, salaries and materials. The scheme itself does not generate sufficient funds to be self-funding so we are hoping that as the venture develops we will become self-sufficient. At the moment, we rely on donations to keep this service running.”

For more information about the Les Amis Recycling Team visit: https://www.lesamis.org.je/ser...