An environmental charity is at risk of shutting down as it struggles with attracting volunteers.

Current staff with Zero Waste Mann, which focuses on recycling and waste reduction, want to pass the charity onto a new generation of volunteers.

Having been established in 2002, the charity has been running for 20 years under the same people.

Chairman Andrew Jessopp, who is also Braddan Commissioners chairman, said that recruiting volunteers has been a problem for years, stemming from before the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: ‘It’s a common theme through a lot of small organisations on the Isle of Man, trying to get volunteers that are all leading busy lives and the people who tend to do these sorts of things tend to be involved in other things as well.

‘It’s trying to find people who are younger to take the charity onto the next 20 years, the existing ones now having done it for 20 years themselves.

‘There’s only about a dozen volunteers at the moment but back in the early days we had about 20 to 30 members.’

When asked why it’s important the charity stays running, he said that it’s just as important as it was 20 years ago when it started.

Mr Jessopp added: ‘We want to help change people’s mindset on rubbish or waste. All of it is a diminishing resource and the environmental and climate impacts of just disposing stuff all the time is certainly no more sustainable now than it was then.

‘Now that we’re getting into an era of climate chaos and environmental pollution, it becomes even more important that we think more about the stuff we buy and when it comes to the end of our use of it what we do to dispose of it.

‘I think there’s still a level of ignorance on the island. We still get a lot of people who don’t really understand or appreciate the waste management system in the Isle of Man and what you can and can’t do in terms of reuse and recycling.

‘We’re trying to reinforce the message to people that it’s not that difficult to separate your waste out and make sure that where it’s reusable or recyclable. You should do your best to actually make sure it gets to the second or third or fourth user.’

Zero Waste Mann has financial resources but is lacking in volunteers and time, according to the chairman.

‘We’re a registered charity and that brings with it a level of bureaucracy that has to be dealt with, so we need people who can be on a committee and handle that side of it in terms of making sure annual returns and accounts are prepared,’ Mr Jessopp said.

‘But also we need people to deal with the education side.’

Secretary Muriel Garland added: ‘We were inspired to set up Zero Waste Mann in 2002 following a visit by Gerry Gillespie of Zero Waste New Zealand.

‘He told us waste exists between our ears.

‘I feel sure there are hundreds of people on the island who would like to secure a future for Zero Waste Mann. We just need to find them.’

Zero Waste Mann is based in the Green Centre, Chester Street Complex in Douglas where people can call in for information on Saturdays.

Anybody who would like to support Zero Waste Mann practically by helping to run the Green Centre, create resources and displays, modernise the membership system or update a website is invited to contact Mr Jessopp on 679775 or Ms Garland on 664796.