It's bin real, and it's bin fun...

Well, there she is. Our new wheelie.

And surrounding her is the last 6 months' worth of recycling accumulated while we waited or her.

Why? Well, in one picture you may notice the blue RE:boxes (making not to try and find and update a very out of date page), now late and very lamented.

I had been waiting as, without the wheelie, the bags provided were not going to accept glass, which provides the majority of out non-reused waste, after paper and a horrible amount of plastic film.

So I also segregated away, just to be helpful. Sadly, all for naught. As I had this note:

I have just had a look through the previous correspondence you have had with us and would advise against separating your recyclables into separate bags. It is great to see people doing all they can to improve the recycling process, but as the bags are emptied at our recycling plant, all contents end up being mixed before the automated sorting process begins. The different sorting processes and stages are very effective.

If you're interested, have a look at the following website which explains things further (and a lot clearer than I can).

http://www.envirosort.co.uk/

Oh well.

Bye bye RE:Box, hello wheelie

A long time ago, in a land, well, right here, I helped with the creation of a kerbside scheme:

The RE:Box

Worked pretty well.

However, we are now at the end of an era (must remember to mark on the site pages).

Not to mention 20,000 blue plastic boxes (seems we get to keep them. Yeah, right. Other than me I can see everyone keeping a bunch of additional dirty, smelly containers. Look out landfill!)

Because we are all getting wheelies.

Or not.

Because, in advance of 'W-day' in November, I got a ton of literature (all of which seemed to say the precise same thing - I guess they want to kick off the paper recycling with a bang) and... a 2kg roll of plastic bags.

So far, so 'Huh?'.

Then I read one of them.

No textiles... no problem (The Can Do Crew and REthreads - two other Junkk-assisted local services are alive, well and serving the community still... until the box tickers descend here too, when their mates see some profit in this no doubt).

But... glass?

As ardent reusers, this is the one category we do recycle a lot, simply because of the volume generated and lack of major reuses we can think of... yet.

Now, it seems this all arises due to a confluence of circumstances.

First up, though we have a big house and grounds, it is 'on the street'. Which apparently means our wheelie would block the pavement. How putting out a bag wouldn't, and RE:Boxes didn't before...?

Then there is the 'elfinsaftee of glass in the bag.

So.... a ton of plastic boxes are being scrapped (I presume) to make way for a ton more plastic boxes most in the town or flats can't use, so we end up with plastic bags that won't accept glass.

This is not making much sense to me at present on any level. I have demanded a wheelie and will have to resolve access to it on collection day.

The only positives (so far) are that they will take (some) plastics and there will not (for now) be a trained sniper across the way should we pop the wrong thing in by accident.

But I do note they don't want them squashed. So a big truck is still moving 95% fresh air?

I am looking further into this. There is the council website. No mention of reuse or Junkk.com I can see. Ta, guys!

And, having called to ask what happens to all this carefully sorted recyclate, and being told it is on the above site (not yet, it seems), there is this fun fellow to trawl: http://www.envirosort.co.uk/

Another blog later, I think.

I love the smell of box-ticking in the afternoon!

Major UK retailers and brands agreed to introduce on-pack recycling labelling system

Once you read that, best make add at the front 'Some...'

I love the smell of box-ticking in the afternoon!

It will be interesting to see how national brands end up coordinating with local authority variations. Especially as this 'non compulsory' scheme is 'encouraged' hither and thither.

I, for one, look forward to yet more info crammed on my pack side, but do wonder if the missus and kids will be too inspired as they stand, binside, getting to grips with bits that are 'widely recycled', and doubt rather whether they will be scooting off on a case by case basis to 'check local recycling'. Actually our local bods do at least take plastics, at least in the swimming pool carpark skip, and we just heave it all in there, from PEP to HDPE to lord knows what.

Well, at least the bits we don't reuse on Junkk.com or pop in our RE:box weekly kerbside boxes- soon to be ditched in favour of a big green wheelie taking everything in a big black plastic bag two counties across to be turned into recyclate tonnages that most recyclers won't take due to quality compromises, but still 'count' for EU targets - will now be better directed.

I cannot wait for the multi-million campaign to create 'awareness' for all this, driving up rates and helping with the bonuses of all (well, most: the consumer is still out of this loop) involved.

Just hope the planet and our kids' futures will benefit as much as the box tickers.

Ain't green grand?

Glass act

Just watched a BBC News item on recycling.

Very interesting. Basically the trend is now away from collecting via skips (and, one presumes, kerbsides, which I know is the case in my area*) and on to what they call 'co-mingled waste', which is basically all in one and let a central station sort it all out.

Trouble is, this system means that while lost of stuff is collected, most of the resultant recyclate is useless, especially when it comes to such as glass.

And as a sign off, the reporter says that when it comes to recycling, 'we' are no longer any good.

Now I know some aspects of these collection systems will encourage greater numbers, but what use if the stuff you collect is of less value.

I have written..

You're talking at and pointing to the wrong folk with the 'we' when referring to how this is not very good environmentally.

Consumers are much less to blame than incoherent, uncoordinated national policy, and an obsession with meeting targets that rewards process more than sensible result.

*Addendum: I have written to my local paper:

The issue of waste collection and, with luck, sensible recycling as a consequence is a hugely worthwhile, but still very complex one.

There are EU fines looming, consequent national pressures and of course regional and local variations 'in the mix'.

There can be no doubt of course that Ross' RE-Box scheme has been ahead of its time, and shining example across the board, not just as a recycling initiative, but also as a social enterprise and, perhaps more than anything, as a catalyst for individual and community cooperation and participation in the cause of environmental good practice.

But there are other issues at play, and these need to be understood and appreciated in assessing what is proposed for the future as part of bigger pictures.

With this in mind, I have noted a very interesting story on the national news this week. Mirroring our local experience the trend is apparently now away from collecting via skips, bottle/can banks (and, evidently, kerbsides) and on to what they call 'co-mingled waste' collections, which is basically all in one bag from our bins, and then on to let a central station sort it all out.

Trouble is, it seems that while this system means that perhaps more 'stuff' is collected, most of the resultant recyclate is of much less use than before, especially when it comes to such as glass.

Now I can see the advantages of these collection systems working with perhaps 'less co-operative' human nature (but certainly not around here, evidenced by the RE-Box success) will encourage greater numbers, but what use is this to the 'bigger picture' of carbon footprints/CO2 release if the stuff you collect is of less or no value?

RE-Box has shown that when engaged with in a sensible way, consumers are much less to blame than incoherent, uncoordinated national policy, and I just hope what we are not seeing is more an obsession with meeting targets that rewards process more than sensible result.

Oh, and just saw an amplified BBC report. Seems it stays as 'we' who are no longer as green as we shoudl be.

Too good to be true?

Households correctly sort 98% of recyclates, reveals LGA

Bearing in mind my amusement at stats that seem very precise with no real basis in fact, enhanced by tricks from my ad copywriter days, this could be 'Almost all households in the UK...'

Thing is, much as I'd like it to be true and give pats on backs all round (especially we punters), unless I am missing something key in what is measured and/or how, I simply find it hard to credit.

Then again, I guess it takes a serious level of numptietude to fail to put the glass in the glass box, the cans in the...

So... maybe.

Addendum - CRR calls into question LGA's low reject figures - Or, then again, maybe not. We are not alone.