CWA was a key operational partner organisation in the successful county-wide Recycle for Cornwall campaign from 2002-06 and is experienced in providing monitoring and canvassing services for behavioural change projects, working with both local authorities and other organisations.  Past projects have included the Restormel Incentives Project and a survey of Civic Amenity Sites and more recently the Recycle for your Community project in west Cornwall between 2007-08.

In 2006, CWA established its own network of community organisations known as the CWA Network, which now has over 100 supporters. Network members are provided with information and support as well as opportunities to participate in events and develop partnership work.

CWA received financial support from the Capacity Builders Change UP programme in 2006/2008 to enable capacity building in the community waste sector within Cornwall. Through this programme, CWA supported Falmouth Green Centre, GOFA, Penwith Environment Network, Penzance Central Initiative and other community groups to improve their own organisational management and governance.

Additional funding was provided for CWA by Capacity Builders, under the Improving Reach programme from 2009 – 2011, to enable a range of grassroots partnerships, through the provision of management support and guidance to a diversity of community groups in Cornwall, with the focus on facilitating new projects, which benefit both their local community and the environment.

Organisations supported through this initiative are able to use CWA assistance with a range of issues including project planning, funding, community enterprise as well as staff and volunteer development. CWA is working with 10 new partnership projects on a range of environmental initiatives, including community composting, community gardens and allotments.

The organisation is also a partner in the Cornwall Community Food and Composting project, with Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, which is a county-wide project funded by the Local Food Fund. This collaboration brings food growing and composting together by supporting people in disadvantaged communities to grow food and compost at home and set up their own community garden projects.

Through this project CWA have developed a Compost Mentors Scheme, which provides training and support for local people to become compost mentors in their own community, working with friends, family and neighbours, to become active home composters. There are currently 100 compost mentors in mid and west Cornwall, providing composting guidance, CWA are now recruiting additional mentors in the east of the county.

CWA organises an annual Beachcleans and Surveys as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s Beach Watch campaign, as well as other litter picks and community tidy-ups. In 2008, CWA ran the ‘Think Before You Throw’  project, working with schools and community organisations, resulting in a successful poster campaign highlighting the dangers of plastic rubbish in our seas and oceans.

CWA also generates additional income by providing various consultancy services to other community organisations, as well as the public and private sector. Recent work includes project management, business planning, feasibility studies and waste audits.  As a not for private profit company, any profits from services are re-invested back into the organisation enabling it to become less reliant on future grant funding and to work towards a social enterprise model.