PROF'S POSER - Tow or trail?

Here's a fun one.

On my daily jaunt to visit my Mum, I see quite a few tourist RV's plying the highways.

Some often have a little shuttle bug (usually a Smart) hanging off the back.

Very sensible to simply nose around the latest venue without a monster truck.

T'oher day I overtook two such behemoths, only one was connected to its baby by a tow bar, and the other had it on a trailer which was in turn hooked up to the Mother ship.

Which set me to pondering which would be better.

The latter obviously reduces wear and tear on the towee, especially tyres, but will impose a load on the tower rear.

The former might add more friction (4 wheels vs. 2) but maybe less load (weight of trailer + any down forces).

Not a clue. But keen to find out.

PROF'S POSER - Tap or...?

Nope, not about bottled water.

The other day I was cooking lunch for the boys and needed to clean the pan, which was coated in fat from the last fry-up.

Invested one kitchen towel in scooping the solids out and to the pin.

Then I needed to address the remains. A dob of Fairy Liquid and then I reached for the hot tap.

Now, hold on.

To get the water I needed, I say a minimum 'run' of about 1min. That's a lot of water down the drain anyway. And then the amount of hot water now left to cool in the pipes between boiler and tap.

Vs.... popping 1/2 a litre in the kettle. 250ml to cleana dn the rest to rinse.

I opted for the kettle. But I wonder is the 'leccy vs. gas source makes a difference.

CYCLING - Uni-lateral dismemberment?

Just had to share this.

In Hereford the other day.

That now lonely wheel was fully padlocked.

Ironically, to the bike rack of the local council offices... under the security camera.

COMPETITION - Sustainability Now Social Media Awards

COMPETITION

WHEN: Deadline Friday 5th November
WHAT: Sustainability Now Social Media Awards
WHAT... MORE?: Their blurb:

The Sustainability Now Social Media Awards will highlight the very best social media focusing on the creation and sustainability of a green built environment. We’re looking to highlight the most engaging, informative, innovative or simply entertaining sustainability based social media, wherever it may be found.

The theme of the awards is sustainability, but this doesn’t mean it has to be the main focus of these social media efforts; it could be a recurring element among many different discussion areas, or a single tweet, an individual blog post, or the primary subject matter.

The categories:

We have seven categories available for the awards this year. These are open to individuals as well as branded company accounts. Entries and nominations for the Awards close on Friday 5th November.

Nominate yourself or your company in 350 words or less for any of the following categories

Best social media community group
Best Tweeter
Best Blogger
Best brand social media use
Best social media individual

HOW MUCH: Don't see a fee, so 'Weeeeeee!'
URL: http://www.ukvirtualevents.com/virtual-events/sustainability-now/social-media-awards/
COMMENTS: Now, who do we know worthy...:)

Ok, so your arteries are still clogged...

And the salt is seizing up your heart.

But this works (a bit better) environmentally:

http://www.kfc.com/packaging/lineup.asp

Have to love that first word!

COMPETITION - Letswasteless.com

Actually, it's a competition to intro a new website.

http://www.letswasteless.com/cms/community/competition.aspx

And it's one in our 'hood - Herefordshire & surrounds.

Not sure how well populated it is, as a lot of folk (including Junkk.com) are not included who could/should be), so it's also an opportunity to bring 'em up to speed.

Tell 'em Junkk.com sent you. Maybe they'll realise we're here... and have been for a while.

And here to help:)

Number Crunching

Sometimes things make you think.

And sometimes folk make you think you need to think more.

A few weeks ago, in my local paper, I saw the headline 'Well done for recycling 25 jumbo jets off waste', and was frankly, impressed.

It was a letter to the county's public by the Environment Cabinet member, celebrating the 5,000th tonne of waste collected for the EnviroSort facility.

Certainly, other than that sidelined here for reuse, our household has 'done it's bit' with the new wheelies.

But then I read a follow-up letter the next week, pointing out that it worked out at 0.6kg per week per person in the county.

Further, the free paper this message was in, is a weekly 0.15kg. Made me think twice before getting too impressed too quickly. Better than nothing, but perhaps a ways to go?

But just in case, I'll also await next week to see if there is more to the way the numbers get crunched than meets the eye.

PR COVERAGE - Little acorns

Did a little series of talks t'other week for local Cub & Scout groups.

Nice to be appreciated.

Sometimes you have to make a stand

Hated to have to do it, but just had to write to the 10:10 campaign.

Dear Sirs,

Just seen the new 'awareness' promo.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/sep/30/10-10-no-pressure-film*

We used to support your mission, but as now revealed as another over-funded activist group who seems to confuse awareness with persuasion, this is now withdrawn. This had to have been approved at the top, so the rot is too high to expect any change of attitude, much less grasp of media message reality.

And we will be advising our audience of this fact.

Unlike some, we leave what they do, or not, up to them. No pressure. No judgement.

This has set the cause of sensible dialogue back a long way, just so some more bandwagon-jumping luvvies can have another 15 minutes in the limelight at the expense of hard slog, pragmatism and a belief that the public can be persuaded as to the value of effective and efficient lifestyle choices without nanny, threat, guilt or mockery.

Especially from a 'we know what's best for you' 'elite'.

Yours faithfully,

I can only hope it was meant as satire or irony, but sadly if that was the intent it was way wide of the mark. The sorriest example of messed up messaging from self-elected, pedestal claiming dumb messengers yet. It's complex issue, guys, and fine lines need to be walked. Patronising is bad enough, but failing to connect with the audience is plain unprofessional.

*Also had to chip in, a bit less formally, here:

Curtis made dive-bombers didn't they?

Certainly made a mess, but were at least designed to hit the right target.

Philip & Tracey seem more collateral damage in a totally misplaced campaign designed to make smug gits called... ahem... Jemima (really? was the Notting Hill author just going for maximum irony?) feel secure in the knowledge that their sweet teacher is actually a lying psycho who will brook nothing but fealty... or else. Even without the Scanners homage, any educator creating a 'us' vs. 'you' scenario in this manner should be transferred to the canteen to make Turkey Twizzlers.

No pressure... or we'll kill you. Sweet. Plus I love the new voting idea. Who needs a secret ballot when we can simply see who believes what... and kill you. At least the movie seems to feel that's OK so long as it is a majority view. Is that borne out, Mr. Curtis? Maybe we could ask the Science Museum? I recall they delivered a less than satisfactory result to Mr. Ed 'settled science, blank slate' Miliband in return for his multi-million £ efforts. Money perhaos better directed to, I don't know, DOING tangible stuff as opposed to getting a pat on the back in a SoHo bar.

Sadly, this latest bit of celeb indulgence will simply further set back sensible environmental dialogue, so some luvvies can all have a back-slap at an obscure awards show in Colorado that, just this once, their entourage will have to attend.

Dire, daft and damaging. Nice one. Ta very much.

I am now a lot more worried about assaults on freedom of thought and speech by unelected 'we know what's good for you' groups with waaay too much control over the media than I am by any positive messages of sensible mitigation.

The only hope is that it was a misplaced attempt at a caution on the damaging effects of dogma, but as noted, that's a target missed by a mile. 0/10. #fail

ADDENDUM

Had a few folk ''explain" to me that this is, as I alluded above, a bunch of lite greens telling dark greens to chill.

If so, I support the strategy, but still can't get behind the creative concept, which seems way too concerned with the shock value of 'awareness', which is dead fun & sexy 'n all, but sadly rarely as effective as patient, hard, slog.

Also not sure it getting yanked quite so soon seems part of the plan, unless it went a bit more viral than intended.

Addendum 2

It would appear that it was not, as I was told by ardent supporters, a complex spoof, and has, for now, been taken down. A bit late. With poor grace. Few were concerned 'it was not funny'. Most were concerned it suggested mindset that was hardly helpful to proactive persuasion.

Interestingly, if with irony, and little surprise, discussion of this seems to have either been allowed for those who toe the line per the compliant Jemima, or simply closed down. In some places (see thread end). Animal Farm advances, as certain ex-employees of certain media organisations foretold.

Addendum 3

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/10/01/blow-me-up-blow-me-down/

Much of what concerns was summarised to me by a late, brief comment on the Graun article (which I did take to task):

You lot need to lighten up

(I think there was something further irony free about 'we British', rather ignoring near all appalled commenters, by a factor of about 100:1, were indeed from our fair isles)

In that short sentence, this person set up a superior, false majority tribal grouping (in their own minds at least), with a god-given right to instruct others how to think and behave.

As I replied, in context of this story... 'Or... what?'

Now wishing I'd added the sweet further invitation '...no pressure' to that.

I see this term becoming rather potent in this regard, if used effectively.

As an ex-Civ Eng/ad man, I am now a passionate, if pragmatic enviro-campaigner, concerned more with proactive DOING and reward-based, end-benefit-driven inspiration by high enviROI example over £/$-squandering, predominantly negative guilt, shame, threat, fear, nag or nanny 'talk' (from endless worldwide events to vast 'awareness' campaigns) and initiatives that simply don't add up unless you are a lobby-pleasing, subsidy-addicted, box-ticking pol, quangocrat and their high paid mates in the often well-funded NGO/charity/activism sector. That these guys get bonusses based on using public money to run ads designed to drive up hits that drive up their bonusses offends me as clear examples of conflict of interest if not fraud.

But I do dip in to the odd chat to try and haul focus back to all the good that is DONE, and can be achieved by DOING, so long as it is well-assessed and targetted. For ages I have been dismayed that near all in green has been hijacked by usually self-elected, single issue messengers clearly utterly incapable of appreciating the complexities in doing the overall message (and hence topic) justice.

And they seem to be spiraling out of control, rationalising their abject professional failures to communicate and/or persuade as a) the failure of the public to grasp their 'wisdom' and, worse, b) trying to blame them for it. I know how that would have gone done in the commercial world with client and audience alike.

So as much as I am concerned about our environmental futures, I am now as concerned with the mindsets being embraced by some, with clear abuses of free speech and democracy in pursuit of narrow, dogmatic agendas that brook no counters.

And so, when next any from this extreme element get on high horses and presume to lecture broadcast only or dictate, I will be simply saying, in future... 'Or else what?... No pressure'.

Addendum 4

My 'Junkk' activity is, of necessity, a little light at present, as I visit my Mother in her home. She has enjoyed a long, good life, but we fear it is coming to a conclusion. At least the earthly chapter. A small family unit, we are determined to stay by her side as often as possible.

Hence a PC, dongle and good WiFi connection is a boon.

Just to nudge this story along, I need not share the reams of links this story has generated. Google is your friend.

But I will share an unexpectedly quick and contrite reply to my email above. Plus what I wrote back.

From 10:10:

Please accept our apologies. You are right. We made a major misjudgement with the film. Our UK director has made an official statement on the issue, which you can see at http://www.1010global.org/uk/2010/10/statement-1010-uk-director

We will be instigating a thorough review of our processes and procedures to identify how this mistake was allowed to happen.

Once again, I offer our sincere apologies. We thank you for the support that you have given to the campaign, and hope that you can accept that we recognise our mistake, and are taking steps to respond in an appropriate manner.

From me:

Dear 10:10 team,

Thank you for a prompt reply in the circumstances, and one that I appreciate that was no fun to have to make.

After the now accepted poor decisions that went into the conception, execution and initially awful 'defences' of the 'No Pressure' piece, this more savvy, considered response is welcome, if necessarily form, and we are tempted to reconsider.

However, with regret, we will need to 'mull' a while. Something perhaps too few do. Evidently.

Yes, it was 'a' mistake, and one that should not adversely impact the many other aspects 10:10 that we endorse(d) and/or support(ed).

However, we remain concerned at the mindset at 'the top', at least as highlighted in the spotlight brought by this unfortunate controversy. This, whilst clearly at last aware of what was precipitated, does rather reveal a history of dogmatic imposition at odds with the belief in actual 'no pressure' accurate, balanced information, fun education and incentive-based, end-benefit driven culture we prefer here.

Hence, whilst pleased to accept what we presume to be a sincere apology from the author below at least, overall blanket forgiveness will take some more time and assessment. Sorry.

There are too many sucking up public (and other) funds in various names, often over-duplicating, and too often with self-indulgent 'awareness' exercises over worthy doing (our interpretation of 'action' is somewhat different) projects, and it may be that this point needs to be made still. Where it will make an impact. Not just with 10:10's leadership, but also as a message to others frustrated maybe, but so self-absorbed as to feel justified in going beyond the high profile pale, and hence making the job of others, working slowly, openly and diligently, all the more difficult.

But good luck with the aspects of you initiative that are positive in enviROI terms.


I feel for those at the helm, but they are cleary not right for the task.

The long and long of it

(that seems to be Blogger's image limit, so a 48 sheet long copy poster was going to struggle. Sorry. Will try to figure a way to post it elsewhere to be viewed bigger)



Just finished, I hope successfully, a bit of 'can't hurt' fun roaming my ad territory, but neatly, and coincidentally, also possibly with a nice rub-off for Junkk.com.

londonlongcopy.com is how I like my competitions (actually most things): fun & free.

I was invited to take part a while ago, and determined this time not to leave it to the last minute.

Fate somewhat intervened, in that I have only just got back after a wee spell enjoying the hospitality of the NHS. All well now, but a large hole in the month's traffic management plans.

I had the idea, and I had the copy, and I had a rough layout. What I didn't have at 24hrs notice was an AD/designer.

Fortunately, I have made some new chums. Taylor & Taylor (with pix on homepage of my fave ever bridge) just happen to be affiliated to the IP guys handling RE:tie's marketing, and what with one thing and another, the deed got done. Ta, guys.

I actually have high hopes. Fingers crossed. Wish us luck. Especially all you Junkketeers in London:)

Addendum:

Didn't even make the shortlist:( Some nice ideas there, but frankly I think ours could have shared such good company too. Will never understand how judging works.

http://www.cbsoutdoor.co.uk/en-gb/Our-Media/London-Underground/48-sheets/longcopy/Commercially-Driven-Entries/

http://www.cbsoutdoor.co.uk/en-gb/Our-Media/London-Underground/48-sheets/longcopy/Not-for-Profit-Entries/

NEWS/Commercial PR - Liftshare Week, 4-8 Oct

I do so love it when they write themselves.

Especially in a good cause.

I like to think off myelf not so much as lazy, but more into not wasting perfectly good resources. From the sharing horsepower's mouth:

Just as Junkk is all about match-making - and sharing to avoid waste - so is liftshare.com. So we want to tell you about an event they’ve got coming up which can help you to slash your CO2 emissions, save a load of money and make some new buddies into the bargain...

It’s the first ever liftshare Week from 4-8 October, and the aim is to help as many people as possible discover the benefits of car-sharing. The typical commuter who car-shares every day saves around £800 a year and a tonne of CO2, not to mention reducing their stress levels and having more fun.

To take part in liftshare Week, just sign up to the free www.liftshare.com website and search for someone else going your way so that you can share the journey. You only have to do it on the days that suit you, and you can either take turns driving or - if one of you doesn’t have their own car - the passenger(s) can contribute to the driver’s petrol costs. Everyone wins.

(Oh, and if you’re allowed to spread the word at work by sticking some posters up at your office, you can download them from www.liftshareWeek.com!)

PR COVERAGE - And idea gaining traction?

Actually, this is more IP coverage.

But as it is a pretty nice article about what we're up to, I think it's worth sharing.

WIPO is not an insignificant force in global IP, so to be noticed and so covered is a very nice thing to enjoy.

Palming On

Funny old world.

A week ago I noticed the local Morrison's was again running the 'Let's Grow' promo, and pondered if we might again unleash the Voucher Palm again (click the links below for archive backstory)

Well, a bit like careless kings and troublesome priests, no sooner muttered than rushed out... without telling me! Nice 'n all, but I might have helped with the proof-reading too.

Plus actually delivering as promised.

Hence a bit of flashing around this weekend to get the new one up.

All's well that ends well....

--------

Don't Be Shy, Schools and Shoppers - Choose Your Coconut Today!

Voucher Palm Ready To Do The Business Again in 2010

Another Autumn, another Morrison's 'Let's Grow' Promo.

And, of course, in Ross-on-Wye at least, the Voucher Palm blossoms in complement again, made from all-reused materials by local eco-ideas website Junkk.com, to help shoppers around town 'post' their vouchers to donate to local schools.

Two have so far have asked to have their own coconut on the palm, but there is space for plenty more. Plus plenty of room inside each to donate vouchers to the school of your choice.

So when around town, if you have some vouchers in your wallet in danger of being lost in the back of the kitchen drawer, pop by the EnviroAbility Book Swap Shop, Cantilupe Rd to ensure they get to... and help make even nicer... some very good local home schools... and gardens.

Caption - Eleanor Bennett of the EnviroAbility Book Swap Shop, Cantilupe Rd, Ross-on-Wye, graciously demonstrates Voucher Palm 3.0

PR COVERAGE - Mate's Rates

As some may know, Junkk.com enjoys a healthy relationship with Poundland.

You know, the retail phenomenon that seems to be almost unique in going from strength to strength, somewhat against the trend?

The one that does seem to have pegged what consumers want these days?

But for all their commitment to value and savings on the pocket, they do ponder deep and long about ways to help make the planet a tad nicer place to be, too.

Which is why, a fair while ago, having seen a Junkk.com stand plugging RE:tie at a show, they liked what they saw enough to want to help in our mission to encourage reuse.

So they popped our URL on their packaging. And from this end, we can testify to just how that has caught on with their customer base. Folk like the notion... A LOT.

Well, just as we had a cheery call that made our Friday a while back, we've just had another.

Look who has pride (well, bottom left, but it's right next to the sign-up) of place on their website homepage:)

Nice to be loved. And to be rated so highly via such an endorsement, compliment and complement from such a successful business.

Maybe we are doing something right, as well as good, after all.

PR COVERAGE - Fast, moving, consumer-related.. and good

Always nice to be noticed.

Even better to be appreciated.

Top cherry to be thought amongst the best.

Junkk.com has been featured in this month's FMCG magazine 'Website spotlight'.

Which is nice.

Not too sure on the value as, so far, the phone has not be ringing off the hook. Early days?

Folk in this industry are pretty time poor, and I've only just found it after it hit the in-tray a few days ago.

Plus I can't help but notice on behalf of RE:tie a tamper evident packaging outfit just down the road. Reaches next for phone...

Sons, sun & sand (lots of sand). Plus wife.

We're back (and have been a few weeks - only now with kids off to school can I get back to the 'other' day job)

Full disclosure: we flew for 6hrs, budget class, to Egypt, for a Nile cruise.

And enjoyed every minute of it. No regrets (the T-shirt is not mine, but raised a wry-smile come 'so, what do you do' at evening cocktails intro-time)

However, learning from many who ponder and post in the world of environess, I will attempt to justify a smidge of what we got up to by writing about it, especially a few eco-aspects of it all... good... but mainly not as good as one may have hoped.

OK, we were in a sunny place. Make that sunny to the tune of 45 degrees some days, pretty much dawn to dusk. That... is a lot of energy falling on every sqm of a vast expanse, day-in, day-out. Trust me. As the only family not out the first day for a tanning session, we observed the results on the others.

Yet... I could see no great evidence of any solar collection, domestic, commercial or national, either photovoltaics or even hot water. Bizarre.

What I did note was the gentle chug of diesels, 24/7, which sadly results in a pervasive fug hanging over the Nile and its banks. Makes for nice sunsets, but not much else.

And I can't understand the need. Where the grid doesn't run, like a boat, so many thing surely could be solar powered to avoid using up GHG-emitting fuel in this way? If it's possible in the UK (see link below, but caution on the numbers, and deal!) with our weather...

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ianmcowie/100007449/how-the-roof-over-your-head-could-earn-1000-out-of-thin-air/

Now, a lot of this may be down to cheap 'leccy thanks to the Aswan dam. A rather uninspiring structure, TBH, but quite a feat. Actually, I was a bit more impressed with the one the British built several decades before. It also had the benefits of a lock system to allow navigation, something the Russians 'forgot' to add. Apparently. I suspect this may have led to, and still inspires some... frustration, downstream.

Which brings me to the other eco-aspect from this trip: the importance of water. Look at that shot out the plane window: no water, no nothing. More than that, no irrigation; no growth more than a few yards in. The country is a high % of sun-blasted sand and little else.

Man has a great capacity to harness nature for good, but also a great responsibility to ensure it is done properly.

Sadly, as I write this I add below a URL that poses some of the dilemmas facing our own mega-water-harnessing scheme.

The Ecologist - http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/522790/severn_barrage_faces_economic_rather_than_environmental_hurdles.html

Finally, I leave pondering a matter of historical interest, namely was the climate back in Ramases' time as oppressive as now?

Telegraph - Biblical plagues really happened say scientists

Keeping In Good Company

Caption: Nothing whatsoever to do with Poundland, but we appreciate the irony inherent in this image of one of their competitors, along with the rather cute weasel as regards their business model on the shop sign.

For while we have enjoyed the support of Poundland.

They have seen fit to add the Junkk.com URL to their packaging, and were first in line to help with some recent research for RE:tie, about which more to soon be shared.

And it seems they are doing rather well.
The Grocer

Kamcity

SKY

Just sayin', that's all.

R & R Time!

Junkk is taking a wee break and will be back soon.

One of our other areas of interest is the wonderful world of music, and we'll be supporting First Lady Phoenix J (creator of our jingle) with her band Greenhaus on their UK tour, followed by something not quite as much of a a busman's holiday!

Of course, the Junkk flightcases are well stocked with kit to find and create all sorts of reuses as circumstances dictate:)

Product RE:view - Sainsbury's Milk Pouch

Disclosure: This little effort is going to compete pretty much with my RE:tie idea. Not directly, but with the caps used on many milk bottles. So it is hard to be totally objective in seeking its success. Looking on the bright side, it may make the cap & bottle guys find some merit in a device that not only promotes reuse, but gives their products an edge, too. Just sayin'

Update - a few very interesting comments has made it worth reposting since the 24/05/10 first publication.




Background

As part of a greening initiative, supermarket Sainsbury's have put on a push to promote the use of these milk pouches in the JUGit

They have seen some success. Interestingly another retailer, Waitrose, has not. An odd difference in light of their demographics, which I would have pegged as pretty similar.

Use

Buying is no problem, though there is a trust factor in carrying it in your basket and or bag home. They claim it can be dropped and not burst, but I was more concerned with being pierced. As were a few others. Hence, ironically, all of us asked for a plastic bag to put it in in case it leaked onto our eco-reuse bags.

Oh, and you'd better like semi-skimmed, at least for now. At least it is..'green'

Once home, set up was a breeze. Simple, neat design.

However, it is not so neat in terms of fridge footprint. Where the bottles stand high and fit neatly. the jug sucks up space.

Eco

It's about waste, right?

Well, I am biased. I don't throw milk jugs away. I reuse them. And if they do end up in the bin, in this neighbourhood they get recycled. But I do concede that, where this does not happen, a bag is a lot less plastic than a bottle.

Thing is there are also the contents. Now here I can put hand on heart and say I am not convinced. With my lovely 13-year old assistant to set up as I shot the pix, the initial spout pierce sent a gollup up into the pouring ring. This was impossible to rescue easily and ended up missing the cup. The rest of the bag drained fine, but there was some left over due to the spout pierce design. Now, you can get at this, but it is fiddly. With a bottle you get it all... easily.

Also not too impressed by the different but near identical instruction sheets supplied; one from maker and one from retailer. I'd say a single combo might have been more 'on message'.

So... not too convinced, TBH, on almost all counts bar the raw materials one.

So it will be interesting to see how it gets received elsewhere.

At least I now have a nice new jug. That is pretty much useless for any other function.

ADDENDUM

Seduced by the offer (frankly, I think they might need to offer more savings for longer, as the deal is not too great), I have just made a complete horlicks of the next one, thanks to not having my spex on.

I put the bag in upside down. Not sure this made much difference to the now familiar fountain that went everywhere on piercing, but it certainly doesn't work on the pouring. Most ended up in the jug and coming out the edge rather than the spout. Now all, ironically, decanted into a more traditional milk bottle I had handy (well, about 1,000 odd)

Addendum 2 - Tescos trying too now, ironically, the day I get a very sensible comment from a reader. Why have the jug, at least in this form, at all?

Addendum 3 - Have revisited the trade mag piece above, and only now via comments got reminded of ASDA Green Bottle, or Greenbottle (Google, amusingly, tries to correct one to the other, though it seems wrong). Couple of issues here. First up, I'd forgotten all about it. Now, we shop at ASDA rarely (though pop in, like we do with the protagonists Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Tescos already cited), and I don't recall ever seeing it. So, as with all things, how these options are presented are crucial in the whole consumer acceptance mix.

For all the preference expressed for these by the posters, I'd have to say that my feelings on this option are equally mixed. Seems like a more familiar, possibly convenient design, but there are a new set of eco-compromises. In this case, it's less a matter of reduction but almost purely recyclability. And that, again, depends on the facilities provided from retailer to local authority. You pays yer money and take yer chances... even with what's best for the planet.

Addendum 4 - The product manager for JUGIT has taken the trouble to write, and is well worth checking out for his views.

The curse of 'ahead of your time'

Always hated that phrase.

Mainly as it is usually meant well, but can make for uncomfortable memories subsequently.

Almost 10 years ago Junkk.com was created, with some fanfare, and a fair bit of support (though little actual dosh after the creation phase) or 'interest' from such as BusinessLink, Chambers of Commerce and various quangos and NGOs, such as WRAP, NISP, BERR, DTi, DEFRA, DirectGov, etc.

And our messages have been, from the off, variations of 'turn re:fuse into re:source'.

All featured, often to great media acclaim, around the world.

So this little sequence piqued (gotta love twitter) interest, for all sorts of reasons:

FabianPattberg Good post: Researchers study how to reuse waste in creative, local ways http://j.mp/aZVESR

Sustainability Forum - Good post: Researchers study how to reuse waste in creative, local ways

Greenbang - Researchers study how to reuse waste in creative, local ways

Teeside Uni - One man’s waste is another man’s resource

Now, not being one to miss a chance at promo, I have been on the case. Ride the wave 'n all.

But it was hard to resist pondering what we, and others, might have done over the last decade with the £1.76M earmarked to study this issue further.

Especially as they seem not to be too up on the various efforts already out there in this regard. Or didn't feel like asking before getting this awesome award. I say this guessing Junkk.com is not one of the beneficiaries of : 'It will help provide assistance to 40 enterprises each year, including small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

But I might ponder who they might be. Never hurts to ask.

For now... I'm smarting a tad.

Maybe a bit of time to simmer down... and then try and figure out how to capitalise on this.

Because if the powers that be have that kind of money to blow on reuse now...