The Les Amis oil recycling service, established to provide meaningful employment for adults with learning disabilities, has received a substantial boost through a donation from Roberts Garages Group. This contribution, which will save the charity £5,000, is set to sustain the service for the next two years, allowing it to continue its important work on the island of Jersey.
Les Amis, a disability charity that supports approximately 100 individuals with learning disabilities, has made significant strides since launching the recycling service in 2017. The initiative has successfully recycled over one million litres of cooking oil, enough to fill 3,600 bathtubs. The filtered oil is sent to the UK where it is converted into biofuel, as the service cannot process the oil locally.
The team at Les Amis diligently filters the used cooking oil, ensuring that it is safely collected and repurposed. This effort not only provides employment but also plays a crucial role in environmental sustainability. Alex Black, a representative of Les Amis, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "The Les Amis oil recycling service was originally set up to provide purposeful employment for adults with learning disabilities. Due to their hard work and success, the service has grown exponentially."
Despite its success, the service faces challenges due to rising costs associated with managing overheads such as storage space and transportation fuel. The recent donation of biofuel from Roberts Garages Group will play a pivotal role in alleviating these financial pressures. Black further noted, "Without our intervention and with no dedicated facility capable of effectively disposing of this huge amount of waste, there was always the potential this oil could've ended up unsafely burned in the incinerators, or worse in Jersey's water supply and beaches."
Ricky Davey, another advocate for the initiative, remarked on its dual impact: "This is such an amazing initiative that helps to reduce waste and provides full-time work for islanders with learning disabilities." The service currently employs seven individuals, demonstrating a commitment to both environmental responsibility and social inclusion.
