July 30th, 2010
Recycling is being made easier for you and your households every day. The council collect your waste every week with glass, plastic, tins and paper also being taken. And there are the many of you who recycle your clothes, shoes, books and linens.
Now, there is another option to do every bit we can to recycle and re-use products and materials. Dorset Reclaim, who started in 1998, have been tirelessly working to encourage local people to re-use, recycle and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. At Dorset Reclaim they offer a free collection service for most domestic items, and collect anything that helps to make a house into a home, from furniture,and electrical items to carpets and curtains, crockery and cutlery.
Dorset Reclaim have prevented 17,500 tonnes of waste going to landfill by helping to distribute good quality furniture, electrical and household goods to low income families. Items can be collected from the Dorset Reclaim warehouse or delivered for a small fee.
Dorset Reclaim is a registered charity project working throughout Dorset and East Hampshire areas. Buy donating unwanted furniture, household and electrical goods you are not only minimising your carbon footprint, helping the environment but there are many local families who will benefit from your unwanted items.
To help with the project or to donate any items click HEREor check out there depots in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester.
Tags: Carbon Footprint, Dorset, Dorset Reclaim, landfill, re-use, Recycling | Posted in Uncategorized
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June 10th, 2010
This month is Recycling Week from 21st to 27th June. Recycling and composting are the aims of the week and getting as many people as possible involved in the nation-wide project.
The recycling awareness week is being backed by everyone’s favourite M&S, Innocent Smoothies, ASDA, Royal Mail, Tesco and the British Heart Foundation. We are not just talking about the bog-standard plastic, glass, paper and cardboard, this week is promoting the awareness of recycling and how much of your household items can be used again. Don’t forget those unwanted CD’s, light bulbs, printer cartridges, video tapes, bicycles and even beds that can be recycled. You can find out about many,many other items that can be recycled by going to RECYCLE NOW.
Schools and businessess across the nation are getting invovled and recycling as much as they can through the Recycle Now initiative. The Recycle Now website offers advice, tips, explains some of the jargon and recycling symbols and 4 easy steps to start recycling today!
Tags: composting, recycle, recycle now, recycle week, Recycling, recycling awareness | Posted in News, Recycling, education
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May 27th, 2010
The new buzz word that is being used all over the world is upcycling!
def:// upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.
Now you would be among the many that will be thinking this is just the same as recycling. It is very similar to recycling but the major difference with upcycling is that no energy has gone into developing the new product from the old one. When recycling paper, plastic, cardboard etc processes are in place to melt, cut and re-make the new products thus using energy. Upcycling products use man-power and time to produce pieces such as artwork, luggage, furniture, useful materials etc.
Several successful businesses have come from being based on upcycling and the huge benefits it offers. Rebagz is an eco-chic handbag company that use great design and sustainability to produce their fabulous products all by upcycling. The ‘Juicy handbag’ (picture) is made from weaving sections of juice cartons and is one of their biggest and most popular sellers. Rebagz is best know for being both eco and human friendly and only re-use materials to make their products.
Resurf, another well established company that is promoting and using upcycling is based in the US and re-uses broken surfboards and turns them into asphalt filer. The Resurf, surfboard waste recycling centres find solutions and homes for the communal waste as an industry.
There is a lot to be said for what one person considers to be junk and useless, to be another persons piece of artwork or furniture.
Tags: energy efficiency, Recycling, Sustainability, upcycling | Posted in Energy Efficient, Recycling, Sustainability
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April 16th, 2010
Dorset county council recently put in planning permission to have a new £2million recycling centrebuilt in Swanage. It has now been confirmed that the planning has been given the go-ahead and building is due to start this summer.
It is going to be the first of its kind to allow both household and small to medium business recycling waste to be deposited at the same site. An estimated 3,000 tonnes of household and trade waste per year will go through this new centre.
Local households and businesses are going to benefit from the modern, clean, efficient and enhanced recycling facilities at the new centre. The aims for this site will not only encourage more people to recycle but will help Dorset to reach their target to recycle 60% of waste by 2015. It will be money well spent for the local people of Swanage and the local area as they will have a clean and reliable site to go to with their recycling waste and therefore sending less to landfill.
The existing recycling site at Panorama Road, Swanage has been labelled as unsuitable for long-term use and is a very small site making it difficult for trucks to unload. The original site is due to stay open until December 2011, allowing for the purpose built recycling centre (pic above) to be completed at Prospect Business Park, off Victoria Avenue. Expected opening to the public is Autumn 2011.
Tags: Dorset County Council, efficient recycling, Recycling, Recycling Centre, trade recycling | Posted in Local Councils, News, Recycling
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January 31st, 2010
Chew Magna, the beautiful, traditional village in Somerset, has been labelled ‘Britain’s Greenest Village’.
Following a parish council survey, it became clear that the biggest concern of the community was the environment and as a result the Go-Zero project was initiated.
Villagers now strive towards zero-waste and buy local produce including; fruit, vegetables, venison, ice-cream, medicinal herbs and trout from Chew Valley Lake. Action groups are discussing and encouraging the inhabitants to recycle more, change their transport methods and reduce their home energy consumption. Local energy companies have even donated light bulbs which the villagers can pick up for free. Approximately 85 percent of the village now recycles, that is almost 4 times the national average.
Chew Magna have also set up a ‘carbon-offset fund’; when someone books a flight with the local travel agent, the distance travelled determines their donation to the fund, even their journey to the airport will be eco-friendly, as the village has plans to run it’s own bio-fuelled coach shuttle service.
This community have many other plans in the pipe-line including becoming a Fairtrade village, following their support for African charities. What is truly inspirational is that all this came about because the community consolidated and discussed their concerns for the environment and together they were motivated to make changes – perhaps this small idyllic rural village will be responsible for providing a template for other towns and villages in the country.
Tags: Britain’s Greenest Village, carbon off-setting, Chew Magna, environment, go-zero, Recycling | Posted in Life Change, Recycling, Sustainability, Transport, carbon emissions, environment
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January 4th, 2010
The Strauss family from Gloucestershire challenged themselves to only have their dustbin emptied once in 2009!
Exercising great care and discipline they examined everything they bought to ensure as much packaging as possible was recyclable. In doing so, they managed to cut their waste down to less than 100g (3.5oz) a week.
The website was born out of this mission and contains tips from readers on how and what can be recycled. Check out the site at myzerowaste.com
In 2010, the Strauss’s hope to create zero waste to landfill. Impressive!
Tags: landfill, myzerowaste.com, Recycling | Posted in Life Change, Recycling
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December 18th, 2009
Every year we produce a staggering amount of waste at Christmas, it is estimated that for every tonne of waste produced in our homes, five tonnes has been produced in the manufacturing process and ten tonnes at the point where the raw material was extracted. With a little thought, care and effort we can cut that down.
Here are a few ideas:
• Avoid presents and food that is over packaged
• Buy drinks in large recyclable containers – one large bottle results in less waste than a lot of small ones and is generally more economical
• Use recyclable bags or reuse plastic bags when shopping
• Avoid using plastic or paper plates when entertaining
• Buy durable gifts so they don’t end up as discarded rubbish
• Buy recycled products such as; glass, tableware, photo frames and ornaments
• Consider buying presents that are environmentally friendly or produced in a sustainable way
• Choose hardy decorations that won’t break, so can be used year in, year out
• Wish friends and family ‘Happy Christmas’ electronically rather than sending cards
• Use recyclable wrapping paper
• After Christmas recycle cards, paper and your tree – municipal sites generally use old trees for chipping and compost, but probably best to check first.
Tags: Christmas, packaging, recycle, Recycling, waste | Posted in Recycling
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October 29th, 2009
Halloween is fast approaching, so why not keep it green and keep it cheap? Give the ghouls and ghosts an energy saving, healthy treat by:
Making your own sweets
Grape lollies – take a bunch of loose grapes, rinse them (dip them in sugar, if you must) and put them in the freezer for an hour or so.
Choc fruits – dip strawberries, raspberries and satsuma segments in melted chocolate and set in the fridge.
Ensuring you have no-waste pumpkins
Separate the flesh and seeds as you go and use the flesh to make a warming winter soup or pumpkin pie.
The pumpkin seeds can either be roasted or eaten raw as a light snack. -After Halloween, put your hollowed out pumpkin lanterns on the compost heap so they can be later used to fertilize your garden.
Creating your own costumes
Collect old rags, rip them up into strips, dye them black if desired and pin onto conventional clothes.
Make witches/wizards dresses and capes out of black bin liners
Make monster masks from papier-mâché.
Make scary ‘hands’ by padding out latex gloves.
Use old pillowcases to collect ‘treats’ – dye it with the rags or decorate with felt-tips.
Creating a Gloomy Glow
Switch off the lights and fill the house with candles.
Torches – when out and about use ones with rechargeable batteries or the wind-up versions.
Car Sharing
Share the fuel, hassle and expense by all bundling into one car on way to your trick or treat venue.
Recycling
Take a bin liner with you to collect up all the ‘treat’ wrappers. Recycle what you can on your return.
Closing Doors
When Trick or Treaters appear, close the front door behind you to conserve energy
Tags: energy saving, Green Halloween, Halloween, Recycling | Posted in Events, Recycling, Self sufficiency
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October 18th, 2009
Green Thing is a not-for-profit charity established to encourage people to lead greener lives. All profits go to the Green Thing Trust.
In their mission to cut down on waste they have come up with the intriguing idea of Glove Love. This requires lost, lonely, single gloves that have lost their partners, but are still looking for companionship. Gloves are sent in, washed, named and matched up with a new mate.
These ‘new couples’ are then sold for £5 (plus VAT and postage), sent to their owners with new identities and a love letter, hopefully to live happily ever after. Green Thing then ask the new owner to upload a picture of themselves wearing the gloves so that they can prove to the original owners that their gloves did indeed find true love.
The Ambassadors Theatre, First Group, The Natural History Museum and an increasing number of super models such as Lauren Budd support and donate to the charity, but obviously gloves are welcome from everywhere and anywhere.
Tags: glove love, Green Thing, Recycling | Posted in Life Change, environment
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September 30th, 2009
Eco groups say they are ‘recycling’ empty buildings to save the planet. Welcome to the new face of recycling – squatting with a purpose.
This is a craze which is rapidly spreading all over the country, vacant buildings and unused land are being ‘rescued’ by squatters and turned into ecologically sustainable communities.
An example of this is The Spike in south London, an old Dept of Transport building; it was transformed by eco warriors and artists from a crack den into a community centre, with a well-being clinic and yoga classes. Another community have set up at Kew Bridge; it has 15 full-time residents who live on produce or food found on ‘skip-runs’; sound systems, drink and drugs are banned as they alienate people.
Although these groups attract the stereotypical squatter they are also joined by graduates, activists and young professionals. As a result they are well informed on their rights and manage to research their next locations via tip-offs on Google Earth. The groups are insistent that they only ever intend to make use of the property or land while it is vacant and not prevent any development projects.
Is this an acceptable way to beat the housing crisis and/or the credit crunch?
Tags: development, ecologically sustainable communities, housing crisis, Recycling, squatting | Posted in Life Change, Recycling, Self sufficiency
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