Recycling

[ailbhe]

http://www.reading.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/wasteandrecycling/recyclinginformation/General.asp?id=SX9452-A77F8DA4

Oooh. Apparently facilities are better than they used to be. I can recycle shoes when I go to the swimming pool, or I could make a special trip to Rivermead and do glass and shoes and tetrapacks at the same time. Or Rob could go to the Tesco near his work to drop off the books that were left out in the rain and the shoes, but not the tetrapacks. Or I could do the tetrapacks when we go to ERAPA.

In fact, it looks like Friday might be Recycling Day. Glass and shoes at the pool, then tetrapacks on the way to ERAPA later on.

Comments

[caerleon.livejournal.com]

This is what most annoys me about recycling.. what all households should have is one recycling bin.. everything that is marked with a recycling logo goes into that bin.. everything from that bin then goes to a recycling centre where it gets sorted.. who does the sorting?.. prisoners.. real prisoners serving a sentence, not those on remand or in custody awaiting trial.. most local authorities either have a prison or one nearby.. give them a really useful job to do that not only helps the planet, but also goes some way to assist the very people they were no doubt working against when they committed their crime..

And pay them a reasonable amount of money for the work they do provided that they do it correctly.. install a work ethic..

On top of that, stop seeing waste as "waste" and instead look at everything as a potential resource.. it seems to me that prisoners are too frequently viewed as "waste"..

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

That's all very well and good but there needs to be a market for the recyclable product at the other end.

At the moment my city recycles all aluminium and steel, all glass, all paper and cardboard (including tetra packs), and plastics with the recycle numbers 1 and 2, because that's what we have markets for. My husband's home town recycles all of the above and all plastics with recycle numbers 1 - 7, because that's what they have markets for. (The question is why does one smallish town have a market for plastics 3 - 7 when my largeish-by-our-standards city does not...)

There's little to be gained by taking recyclables and then just stockpiling them, above and beyond taking them out of the waste stream (although that is a good thing in and of itself). The real point of recycling is to re-use resources, and having them sitting around doing nothing doesn't really accomplish much.

I think incentives should be given to manufacturers to find new uses for recyclable products rather than "new" resources, but there's little political will for that where I come from. Ah well, there's an election later this year, maybe I can help turn it into an election issue.

[(Anonymous)]

Well said, Gid! Great idea!
As for 'waste', I always taught my kids (and the kids I taught at Pre-School in the 20+ years when I was working there) "When you throw something away, where is 'away'?"

Elaine xx