Reducing waste and isolation in old age: what the experts think...

Nesta’s Centre for Challenge Prize team asked age and waste experts and the public what they would like to see done to help reduce isolation in old age and UK waste.

As the deadline to enter the Ageing Well and Waste Reduction challenges draws closer – 14 September – see what the experts have to say (below) and word clouds of what UK adults wish could be done to reduce waste and isolation in old age.



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• I wish someone would give a thought to their elderly neighbours and check on them regularly.
• The idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing age isolation is community day centres where older people meet on a daily basis.
• Age isolation could be reduced if...we all try and include older people into our lives whenever we can.

Barbara Windsor, MBE

• We wish someone would invent a small food composter that fitted in everyone's house or flat for disposal of food waste, so it wasn't sent to landfill. 
• The idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing food waste at The People's Supermarket is the use of 'past its best' food in the kitchen to create ready meals. This has saved over one tonne of food in six months.
• Food waste could be reduced if we all bought less more often; BOGOFs were banned; smaller quantities were available to buy and if more food was sold loose.

The People's Supermarket

Tackling social isolation is enormously important in helping older people to maintain their quality of life. There must be some great ideas out there for tackling it and this is a great opportunity to make a brilliant idea happen.

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, Saga Magazine

• I wish someone would be my friend and come chat to me occasionally.
• The idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing age isolation is that old people have something interesting to say.
• Age isolation could be reduced if company is regarded as a gift which everybody can afford!

Professor Heinz Wolff, founder of Care4Care

• We wish someone would create a cost-effective way of dry cleaning old mattresses and sofas and other upholstered items.
• The idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing waste is designing out the need for packaging materials - light-weight bottles, reducing the amount of packaging and making it more recyclable.
• Waste could be reduced if household products (furniture, electrical items etc) were better designed to be re-used or refurbished or upgraded more easily...

London Community Resource Network (LCRN)

• We wish everyone was more aware of who was in need around them.
• Age isolation could be reduced if we all knew who was on their own around us and dropped in for regular short visits.
• The idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing age isolation is conversation.

The Good Gym

• We wish someone would recognise that tackling loneliness concerns people of all ages.
• The idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing age isolation is bringing older and younger people together in different ways.
• Age isolation could be reduced if we all think about and speak with our older neighbours.

United for all Ages

• We wish that the industry was able to make food packaging simpler to understand so that less food is wasted by consumers.  Use By, Sell By, Display Until dates on food packaging are confusing.
• In our view, the idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing waste reduction is our community building model of supporting volunteers to collect surplus food directly from retailers, finding a local kitchen space and training them to cook nutritious meals for those at risk of food poverty and social isolation
• Food waste could be reduced if it could be made easier for local volunteers to collect food directly from their local supermarkets. 

FoodCycle

• We wish someone would find ways of keeping work based contacts as colleagues and work mates in touch rather than losing contact when they retire.
• The idea that has had the biggest impact on reducing age isolation is maintaining a sense of being valued for what you have done and can still do however old you are.
• Age isolation could be reduced if employer alumni associations were created with all the vigour and purpose of academic alumni organisations.

The Experts in Age and Employment (TAEN)