Plastic recycling...
Dan delaMare-Lyon
before...... :-)
Since that time we have been collecting empty plastic "pop" bottles rather
than consigning them to the great rubbish dump in the sky (or more likely to
be Milton?)
We now have three bin bags full of the pesky things, and still have no
creative use for them.
So if anyone needs any to make mini-propogators or such like then let me
know.
Failing that, don't s'pose there is any chance that we have got our
colective act together and found a place to recyle these things have we?
Cheers
Dan.
Peter Jones
Lyon <dan.dela...@uk.uu.net> wonders...
>Oh, yes, before anyone starts, I know I started a thread about this
>before...... :-)
<snip>
Out here in OffTopicBecauseItsTheWrongPostCodeLand, that is Huntingdon,
we recently were supplied with green boxes that take all our recyclable
rubbish. Huntingdon Council empty the boxes twice a month and the waste
goes to Peterborough for sorting and processing. Surprised that the
terribly green Cambs City Council don't do this too. Maybe you should
lobby your councillors.
--
Peter Jones
Truth really is stranger than fiction.
It's because fiction has to make some kind of sense.
st...@poggle.org
> Out here in OffTopicBecauseItsTheWrongPostCodeLand, that is Huntingdon,
> we recently were supplied with green boxes that take all our recyclable
> rubbish.
Including plastics?
-- Steve
Peter Laborne
> Out here in OffTopicBecauseItsTheWrongPostCodeLand, that is Huntingdon,
> we recently were supplied with green boxes that take all our recyclable
> rubbish. Huntingdon Council empty the boxes twice a month and the waste
> goes to Peterborough for sorting and processing. Surprised that the
> terribly green Cambs City Council don't do this too. Maybe you should
> lobby your councillors.
Hunts DC started that scheme a couple of years back IIRC (when I lived in
Fenstanton, we had the green boxes). Only a couple of months ago South Cambs
DC started the scheme up for up in Cambourne. Same tiny little green box in
which you have to put all your papers, glass bottles, drinks cans and
plastics.
Surprisingly they only come round every couple of weeks and your are
supposed to fit two weeks worth of papers, wine bottles, coke cans, beer
cans and those crappy supermarket carrier bags in this tiny green tub.
In Plymouth they are supplied with wheelie bins for recycling. One for
papers, one for glass (all types), one for plastics (all types) and then you
had one "for everything else". The refuse collectors (whatever happened to
calling them "dustmen". All this PC stuff me thinks!) would come round on
different days of the week depending on what they were collecting.
Peter
Roland Perry
<plab...@arm.com> writes
>The refuse collectors (whatever happened to
>calling them "dustmen". All this PC stuff me thinks!
They are called that because they reserve the right to refuse to collect
things (like lawn clippings).
--
Meldrew of Meldreth
Tim Ward
news:vUXQmKAn...@comity.demon.co.uk...
>
> Out here in OffTopicBecauseItsTheWrongPostCodeLand, that is Huntingdon,
> we recently were supplied with green boxes that take all our recyclable
> rubbish. Huntingdon Council empty the boxes twice a month and the waste
> goes to Peterborough for sorting and processing. Surprised that the
> terribly green Cambs City Council don't do this too. Maybe you should
> lobby your councillors.
Being worked on. No need to lobby councillors.
--
Tim Ward
Director - Brett Ward Limited
+44 7801 703 600
Peter Jones
<snip>
>
>Including plastics?
>
>-- Steve
plastic bottles and so on are collected. polystyrene food trays not.
--
Peter Jones
Peter Jones
>Hunts DC started that scheme a couple of years back IIRC (when I lived in
>Fenstanton, we had the green boxes). Only a couple of months ago South Cambs
>DC started the scheme up for up in Cambourne. Same tiny little green box in
>which you have to put all your papers, glass bottles, drinks cans and
>plastics.
>
other stuff. If you crush stuff, flatten boxes and so on you can get
quite a lot in. We only make rubbish for two, families with children at
home may need a lot more space.
>Surprisingly they only come round every couple of weeks and your are
>supposed to fit two weeks worth of papers, wine bottles, coke cans, beer
>cans and those crappy supermarket carrier bags in this tiny green tub.
>
You may be allowed to request extra boxes...
>In Plymouth they are supplied with wheelie bins for recycling. One for
>papers, one for glass (all types), one for plastics (all types) and then you
>had one "for everything else". The refuse collectors (whatever happened to
>calling them "dustmen". All this PC stuff me thinks!) would come round on
>different days of the week depending on what they were collecting.
That's nice. Does it work?
--
Peter Jones
Dan delaMare-Lyon
> Lyon <dan.dela...@uk.uu.net> wonders...
>
> >Oh, yes, before anyone starts, I know I started a thread about this
> >before...... :-)
>
> <snip>
>
> Out here in OffTopicBecauseItsTheWrongPostCodeLand, that is Huntingdon,
> we recently were supplied with green boxes that take all our recyclable
> rubbish. Huntingdon Council empty the boxes twice a month and the waste
> goes to Peterborough for sorting and processing. Surprised that the
> terribly green Cambs City Council don't do this too. Maybe you should
> lobby your councillors.
Well this is another "technicality".
CB8 is indeed Cambridge. But Newmarket is in suffolk.
Bit of both. Forest Heath District council do provide a brown bin for
garden waste/cardboard/compostable waste (emptied bi-monthly) and collect
newspapers weekly, but nothing for plastics.
Cheers
Dan.
Peter Laborne
> >In Plymouth they are supplied with wheelie bins for recycling. One for
> >papers, one for glass (all types), one for plastics (all types) and then
you
> >had one "for everything else". The refuse collectors (whatever happened
to
> >calling them "dustmen". All this PC stuff me thinks!) would come round on
> >different days of the week depending on what they were collecting.
>
> That's nice. Does it work?
From what I have seen it works very well. IIRC the usual black bags were
picked up weekly and the recycled stuff was every other week. The other
advantage was because they were large wheelie bins (and not a small green
box) you didn't need a plastic bag for all the extra papers you were giving
them or cardboard boxes of empty bottles.
And why not have a collection for grass cuttings etc. It could be taken
away, turned into compost and then sold for people to use on their gardens.
Peter
Dan delaMare-Lyon
news:9k6adq$ag9$1...@cam-news1.cambridge.arm.com...
> Peter Jones wrote:
>
<Snip>
> And why not have a collection for grass cuttings etc. It could be taken
> away, turned into compost and then sold for people to use on their
gardens.
Or used on the council gardens/parks etc. as it is in Suffolk!
Cheers
Dan.
Jonathan Larmour
Tim Ward <t...@brettward.co.uk> wrote:
>"Peter Jones" <Pe...@comity.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:vUXQmKAn...@comity.demon.co.uk...
>>
>> Out here in OffTopicBecauseItsTheWrongPostCodeLand, that is Huntingdon,
>> we recently were supplied with green boxes that take all our recyclable
>> don't do this too. [snip]
>
>Being worked on. No need to lobby councillors.
Hurrah!
Jifl
--
Red Hat, Rustat House, Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 (1223) 271062
Maybe this world is another planet's Hell -Aldous Huxley || Opinions==mine
Colin Rosenstiel
dan.dela...@uk.uu.net (Dan delaMare-Lyon) wrote:
Much of the city has green bins to do just that.
Colin Rosenstiel
Malcolm Gray
"Colin Rosenstiel" <rosen...@cix.co.uk> wrote in message
news:memo.2001080...@rosenstiel.cix.co.uk...
Out of interest what do they do with the compost - it is sold to
B&Q etc or is there some location in the city that sells it?
Paul Oldham
(Malcolm Gray) growled:
> > Much of the city has green bins to do just that.
>
> Out of interest what do they do with the compost - it is sold to
> B&Q etc or is there some location in the city that sells it?
It's currently composted at Milton land fill using the windrow system
(basically shred it, pile it up and turn it every so often with a JCB) and
it was being used on site as a soil improver for the cap on the site (they
couldn't sell it because of the level of contamination - one glass bottle
in the shredder means you can't sell the whole heap!). Whether they've
solved the contamination problem I'm not sure. They are now selling compost
there, but I suspect it's coming from elsewhere.
This is all about to change though. The composting contract is being
re-negotiated at the moment by the County Council[1] and it's pretty clear
that the new contract will be given to Donarbon/Dickerson's at Waterbeach,
where they're building a more sophisticated composting system using closed
cells and forced air so they can control the input and output (less smelly
and I think they're hoping to burn the methane).
[1] Although district/city council collects waste the county disposes of it.
--
Paul Oldham, Milton villager and telecommuting COBOL hack
The cam.* FAQ ---> http://the-hug.org/paul/camfaq.html
Milton web site -> http://www.miltonvillage.org.uk/
Colin Rosenstiel
(Paul Oldham) wrote:
> In article <FhQ97.12$N85.611@psinet-eu-nl>,
> malcol...@jobstream.co.uk (Malcolm Gray) growled:
>
> > > Much of the city has green bins to do just that.
> >
> > Out of interest what do they do with the compost - it is sold to
> > B&Q etc or is there some location in the city that sells it?
>
> It's currently composted at Milton land fill using the windrow system
> (basically shred it, pile it up and turn it every so often with a JCB)
> and it was being used on site as a soil improver for the cap on the
> site (they couldn't sell it because of the level of contamination - one
> glass bottle in the shredder means you can't sell the whole heap!).
> Whether they've solved the contamination problem I'm not sure. They are
> now selling compost there, but I suspect it's coming from elsewhere.
They think they have fixed the contamination problem, yes.
> This is all about to change though. The composting contract is being
> re-negotiated at the moment by the County Council[1] and it's pretty
> clear that the new contract will be given to Donarbon/Dickerson's at
> Waterbeach, where they're building a more sophisticated composting
> system using closed cells and forced air so they can control the input
> and output (less smelly and I think they're hoping to burn the methane).
>
>
> [1] Although district/city council collects waste the county disposes
> of it.
Colin Rosenstiel
litsl
> > lobby your councillors.
>
> Being worked on. No need to lobby councillors.
Perhaps they are saving paper by not responding to my letter on the
subject...
...I wonder if 'being worked on' means that the council will start
buying recycled plastic for things like park benches, rather than just
complaining that there is no demand for recycled plastic.
Carl
PS My letter...
Environment Programme Team
Environment and Transport Dept., Box ET1001
Cambridgeshire County Council
Shire Hall
Castle Court
Castle Hill
Cambridge CB3 7BR
Wednesday, 04 July 2001
Re: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Joint Waste Management Strategy
Dear Sir or Madam,
I write with reference to the 'Slim your bin' initiative, and in
particular brochures circulated entitled 'Rubbish "what should we do
with it?"', 'What happens to most of the wood that could be
recycled?', and 'The slim your bin guide to composting in
Cambridgeshire'.
Firstly I would like to point out that I fully support any initiatives
designed to reduce landfill and to promote recycling and re-use. I am
a very keen environmentalist, already recycling what I can using local
facilities, composting my own garden rubbish and am keen to do more.
I have recently purchased a shredder in order to deal with hedge
trimmings and tree branches, and last year built a garage primarily
from recycled materials, thus saving a considerable amount of landfill
and wastage. The garage also has solar powered lighting. So, as you
can see I am something of a recycling enthusiast.
I have a number of comments and questions relating to each of the
brochures:
'The slim your bin guide to composting in Cambridgeshire'
1. Why not make it even more accessible for people to buy compost bins
made from recycled plastic by advertising them with their purchase
price in subsequent brochures?
2. Why not better explain what can and what cannot be composted? For
example, I'm not sure why cooked vegetables should not be composted,
nor why newspaper, cardboard, even shiny cardboard, should not be used
in home composting (as is suggested by the Centre for Alternative
Technology).
3. What should people do with things that you say cannot be composted?
Presumably everything listed in the 'No:' list can be put in the
green bin for collection?
4. You mention that ammonium sulphate can speed things up but fail to
mention that urine is a great way of providing this additive! (though
perhaps a bad public reaction might ensue from such a suggestion from
the council I admit!)
One further more general point on composting:
5. Last year you sent around a letter informing people not to put
cardboard in their green bin. Why not? Cardboard is a perfectly
acceptable ingredient for compost and is a good balance for overly
moist 'ingredients'.
'What happens to most of the wood that could be recycled?'
1. Are there local facilities for recycling wood in Cambridge?
2. Does the County Council buy recycled wood products, or make any
attempt to re-use it's own pre-used wood?
3. Does the County Council buy re-cycled plastic products that are
designed to be a replacement for wood? For example, it is possible to
buy recycled plastic park benches and tables - have any been purchased
by the council?
4. How does one recycle tanelised/treated wood?
5. If someone wants to repair some wooden furniture - who do they call
to help them with that?
'Rubbish "what should we do with it?"
1. Recycling facilities in Cambridge are dreadful, and improving that
situation alone could sharply improve the amount of recycling that
occurs. Your leaflet begins to address the need to increase public
awareness of the need to recycle. However, I have to date found the
Council lacking in leadership on recycling. Here are some examples of
what I mean by that:
- There are no facilities for recycling plastic in Cambridge, and the
council does not support the plastics recycling industry by purchasing
this alternative material;
- Despite several complaints to Tesco in Milton, and to the Council,
and after having made an entry in Tesco's accident book after cutting
my hand trying to use their can recycling facilities, nothing had
happened and I've not had a response from anyone. To recycle a can at
Tesco it is necessary to first crush it, and then fold it so that it
fits the oval shaped hole. I can see why not many people bother to go
through that to recycle their cans. It's not hard to cut your hand
trying to fold a flattened tin can! I visited Tesco in Milton today
and notice that despite obtaining planning permission for extensive
expansion, recycling facilities have not been improved. The Council
could presumably have made this a condition of the planning consent.
- Recycling facilities in Church Street in Chesterton are invariably
full to overflowing and surrounded by broken glass - this is right
next to a children's play area. This discourages people from
recycling.
- There is no discernible interest in grey-water recycling in
Cambridge, though I pay Ł30 a year to a water company to cover
rainwater collection, when my rainwater doesn’t even go into the
drains. What is that all about?!
2. Your questionnaire question A4 asks what people would be prepared
to do to reduce the amount of waste they produce.
- Buying milk in glass bottles is something I choose to do, but milk
bought in this way costs quite a lot more. Most people are unlikely
to buy more expensive products to "save the planet". What they will
do is buy at the best price and would perhaps then be prepared to
recycle the plastic containers - if there were facilities available.
A friend of mine recycles all of her plastic by taking it to Bolton
when she visits her parents, where they have a kerbside collection.
If this makes sense in Bolton, why not here?
- Repairing broken equipment is very expensive and people find it
cheaper to replace items. Given that, why not advise people to take
broken equipment to places like Emmaus who have the wherewithal to fix
up many broken items. As I'm sure you are aware, many electrical items
are discarded with very minor faults, often as simple as blown fuses
or loose connections (I think one study put the figure at something
like 70%). Alternatively, why not sponsor a repair service?
I think there is a need for the Council to have realistic expectations
about changing people's consumer/recycling behaviour. Why not try to
do something about the easy things first, like introducing plastic
recycling, and leave enthusiasts like me to buy second hand junk and
make do!
3. I most strongly object to your scoring of 5 points for section B
answer 1 and only 3 points for answer 2. As a matter of fact, is it
more environmentally sound for each individual to take their recycling
somewhere (in the car!) or for just one lorry to come and collect the
lot? I think the latter is very clearly more environmentally sound.
However many times you say to combine recycling and shopping journeys,
there will be a number of people that just drive in order to clear out
their recycling - this is an overall negative impact on the
environment, however much it saves the Council in the short term with
landfill charges.
4. In Question C you offer people 6 options for dealing with waste
ranging from anaerobic digestion to gasification and pyrolysis. Even
as an enthusiast who is a member of Greenpeace and Friends of the
Earth and reads New Scientist, I feel unable to weigh up the pros and
cons of each of these options without a decent explanation of them. I
should say that any data you collect from the responses to this
question will be wholly bogus and unusable - basic questionnaire
design principles should have led you to pilot study this before using
the instrument. This question convinces me that no pilot study was
undertaken.
I have made a number of difficult and challenging points in this
letter and would like an answer to them. However, I am also happy to
help progress things if I can and would be prepared to:
- participate in your interactive waste workshop;
- work to a goal of zero waste for landfill from my house (publicly if
you like);
- volunteer to participate in a household grey-water project, treating
water from the washing machine and shower with a small reed filled
pond (and would be happy to show people around a system when built and
get involved in publicity).
Clearly this is a topic very close to my heart and rather than just
whinge about it, I would genuinely like to do something about it. So,
please think of me as a resource, rather than just a complaining
person.
Good luck with the 'slim bin' initiative, though my bin can only get
any slimmer if you can help me recycle my plastic.
Cheers
Carl Myhill
Cc Greenpeace, Canonbury Villas, London N1 2PN
Friends of the Earth, 26-28 Underwood Street, LONDON N1 7JQ
Anne Campbell, MP (anne.cam...@dial.pipex)
The Centre for Alternative Technology, Centre for Alternative
Technology, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 9AZ
Tim Ward
news:e3a14bb2.01080...@posting.google.com...
> > >"Maybe you should
> > > lobby your councillors.
> >
> > Being worked on. No need to lobby councillors.
>
> Perhaps they are saving paper by not responding to my letter on the
> subject...
Which city councillor didn't answer your letter? If it was a LibDem
councillor please send me a copy of the letter and I'll find out what went
wrong.
Colin Rosenstiel
Ward) wrote:
> "litsl" <carl....@smallworld.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:e3a14bb2.01080...@posting.google.com...
> > > >"Maybe you should lobby your councillors.
> > >
> > > Being worked on. No need to lobby councillors.
> >
> > Perhaps they are saving paper by not responding to my letter on the
> > subject...
>
> Which city councillor didn't answer your letter? If it was a LibDem
> councillor please send me a copy of the letter and I'll find out what
> went wrong.
The posting suggested it was a letter to a Shire Hall Officers. Tim.
Colin Rosenstiel
Tim Ward
news:memo.2001080...@rosenstiel.cix.co.uk...
>
Ah, well, law unto themselves, some of that lot, as we well know.
Paul Oldham
rosen...@cix.co.uk (Colin Rosenstiel) growled:
> In article <9k9nqt$r00$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk>, t...@brettward.co.uk (Tim
> Ward) wrote:
>
> > "litsl" <carl....@smallworld.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:e3a14bb2.01080...@posting.google.com...
> >
> > > Perhaps they are saving paper by not responding to my letter on the
> > > subject...
> >
> > Which city councillor didn't answer your letter? If it was a LibDem
> > councillor please send me a copy of the letter and I'll find out what
> > went wrong.
>
> The posting suggested it was a letter to a Shire Hall Officers. Tim.
If so they're in breach of their Citizen's Charter obligations (seven days
for paper communication IIRC).