Here at Ipswich Road we try to be as Eco-friendly as possible

We have an Eco Group which meets bi-monthly to see how we can better develop our Eco credentials. We have drafted an environmental policy for the church (Click here to view it).

We are currently working towards the Gold Eco Church Award: currently worship & buildings are at gold level, land and nature is bronze (it was silver before the revised Eco Church survey)  community & global is silver, lifestyle is silver.

Here are some Examples of things we have done so far:

Buildings

• Installed air conditioning units to give heat, thus doing away with many electric heaters. This cut our electricity consumption by about 50% so also cut our CO2 output.
• Installed PV (solar) panels’ in 2012 which also helped cut our electricity use and helped the country cut its CO2 output.
• We had all our cavity walls insulated which again reduced our heating need.
• When re-roofing the church roof, we added extra insulation
• Installed double glazed UPVC windows and fire doors throughout the premises, which helps keep the heating bill down, eliminates the need for repainting which in turn results in savings to the environment by not needing paint to be produced to maintain the old wooden windows.
• Heating is on timers so it cannot be left on accidentally.
• Toilet lights are on timers so they only come on when needed.
• All light bulbs in the Sanctuary, halls, coffee bar and toilets are LED
• Hand wash sinks have sensors to use to save wasting water.
• We make full use of the council’s recycling, garden waste and food waste services.
• We calculated our carbon footprint and aim to reduce it further

Lifestyle

Periodically we have run several Café Eco on various themes and associated talk. In the last year we’ve heard about composting, supporting swifts, and minimising landfill with local charity Scrapbox. Energy advice has also been available at these events. We welcome local crafters to have a stall at our events.

• We have cycle racks outside and encourage our members to car share or use public transport
• Energy advice is available at our events
• We have a clothing recycling bin in our car park for community use and the church is paid money for every kilo of clothing collected
• We encourage recycling and through community connections have a drop off point for dental accessories, make up, bras, crayons/pens and spectacles for recycling
• There is also another for the plastic bags/biscuit wrappers used in the building which we can take to supermarkets soft plastic collection point.
• Blister pack recycling continues. The collection box is often filled each week. The mangle we acquired secondhand helps us get more packs in the boxes we buy from Terracycle who pilot specialist recycling facilities. We’ve noticed more fully aluminium packs this year, a sign that some companies are moving away from bonded foil and plastic in their packaging. Fully foil blister packs can to be recycled in the council recycling bins. We also do not want any tablets – these should be returned to pharmacies for disposal. If you can use the recycling facilities at pharmacies such as Boots & Superdrug please do so
• We’ve started recycling printer Ink cartridges. This will be raising funds for Christian Aid.
• We use resources from Scrapbox in our activities.
• We also ensure we have at least one eco themed article in the monthly newsletter

Community and global 

• Our Relationship with the local residents association (ERRA) has deepened with Janet Bearman their secretary joining the group. Our activities as a Eco Group feature in their newsletter. ERRA Garden Group run the plant stall at Café Eco.  Having hosted refreshments for their annual Open Gardens Day in previous years, this year we will collaborated further with a Café Eco on July 4th 2026 including talks and information by Climate Change Gardening as well as an opportunity to hear more from Mind Lakenham & Tuckwood Nature Connect.
• We support Third World countries affected by climate change through our ’cause for the month’ programme. In May we support Christian Aid.
• Tools With a Mission is another cause for the month charity. We are a collecting point for unwanted tools. These refurbished and then reused in the UK and abroad https://www.twam.uk
• We are a Fair Trade Church and try to use fairtrade goods when possible
• We have a Fair trade stall in our coffee bar – see separate web page for more information
• Our toilets are all “Twinned”

Worship 

• Care for the environment is regularly part of our Sunday worship, Messy Church and in our groups
• We hold an annual Climate Sunday service
• Hymns, Church notices are on screens, newsletters are emailed and available as paper copies for those needing them

 

Land and nature

• We are working to make the garden even more wildlife friendly and have one section purely for wildflowers
• Being mindful of the climate crisis we have plans to make the church front garden a dry garden
• We consulted with Norwich Swift Network and installed swift boxes and a caller.
• Norfolk Wildlife Trust have been consulted on making our grounds more wildlife and particularly pollinator friendly and more climate change resistant.
• We  have a bird box with a URC symbol on it
• We save rain water for use in the garden and have recently installed more water butts
• Church members make jam with the cherry plum harvest from the tree in the church garden