Chew Magna: Is this greenest village in Britain?

In gently rolling countryside, not far from a tranquil lake, Chew Magna is the quintessential Somerset village. It has a well-kept cricket pitch, tidy gardens, three churches, two pubs and a row of quaint shops. But a flier stuck to a telegraph pole tells a different story. “Find out everything you’ve always wanted to know about domestic solar water-heating,” it says, advertising a village talk. “Invest in energy-saving home improvements, save more money and significantly reduce your carbon dioxide emissions”.

Chew Magna’s campaign, called Go Zero, is one of many zero-waste projects starting up across the world, from California to Canberra. A resident of Kamikatsu, the first town in Japan to commit to zero waste, recently e-mailed a message of support to the Somerset village. “We feel much sympathy with Chew Magna and we hope we can strive for zero waste together,” it said. What’s happening at Chew Magna offers a blueprint for other communities wishing to become more sustainable.

independent