The Future

As the BGI grows it is our hope that we will eventually be able to equip and man an entire fleet of regional buses. We will keep abreast of new technologies, products and tools for sustainable living, and use the buses to showcase such innovations so that individuals across the UK can have access to them when they become available.

We know that one of the easiest ways to convince people that they can make changes is by giving them an opportunity to touch, see and try items such as energy- and water-saving devices, alternative household cleaners, natural skincare products and even clothing and footwear made from sustainable crops or recycled textiles.

Our BGI Bus staff will be on hand to give advice about these items, demonstrating that many of the things we frequently use and buy have greener alternatives that could help us to reduce our impact on the planet and save money too!  We will also run workshops on all aspects of sustainable living such as encouraging locally centred economies and a reduction in dependence on fossil fuels.

But what happens after The Big Green Bus leaves town, taking these samples, information and guidance with it?

The next phase of our plan for the future is to establish a back-up system which we will leave in its place, so that individuals who have been inspired to make changes will still have access to support, inspiration and help – even though the bus has moved on.

There are a number of ways we would like to do this, for example by having a network of local BGI representatives available as mentors. But the scheme we would most like to develop for the future is our ‘Green man in a van’ and we would like to see this scheme located in every area of the UK where they are needed.
 
The ‘Green man in a van’ package will offer a smaller and more mobile version of our bus, packed with similar equipment, resources and information.

The van will be driven by a fully trained eco-auditor. As with our buses, the vans will run on biodiesel or waste vegetable oil and we hope that each one will be sponsored (at least in part) by local businesses.

The van and driver will be available to offer eco-audits to people who want to reduce their eco-footprints but are unsure where to start, and we aim to visit as many as 4–5 homes daily offering green home surveys, advice and support.

We would like it very much if the van could work alongside, or for, local councils.

With focused research and planning at the time of booking the driver of the van will be aware whether the homes they visit are occupied by single workers, young couples, families or elderly people. With a little advance knowledge of individuals’ circumstances, for instance whether the householder has a garden or lives in a flat, or if the property is rented, the van can be stocked with the most appropriate items to demonstrate where the biggest, easiest and most cost-effective improvements can be made.

We would also like our vans to be available to the communities where they are based for other projects, such as collecting and delivering items from the local Freecycle network, and we are looking into ways that this can be achieved.