NEWS: Recycling gets easier

Before we started recycling we probably sent an average of 6 bags of rubbish/trash a week to landfill.

Some folks think recycling is a waste of time...we think it is a great way to reconnect with our planet's ever so finite resources. Why bother recycling? Read this article.

We send about one bag a week to landfill - actually it has gone up to two bags due to our baby but the nappies/diapers are biodegradable at least - more on green nappies/diapers and reusables in later posts.

We also just got a kitchen composter for food which reduces landfill waste even more and produces great compost for the garden - again we will be posting something on that eventually.

So overall pretty much the only thing we do not recycle is plastic packaging.

However, what about people that live in apartment blocks? They have no driveway ergo no kerbside pickup. They have to separate their recycling and take it to the nearest facility. I guess they are less likely to have cars and clearly walking with bags of recycling presents one hell of a barrier that would turn a lot of people off of recycling.

Well if you live in the London Borough of Islington it seems that recycling is getting easier even for apartment-dwelling folks. Whatever works to get more people thinking about the resources they use in their everyday lives is cool with me.

For those who live in apartments in Islington the local council now offer a simple scheme where you fill a blue plastic recycling bag with all the stuff you can recycle, leave it for collection and they then take it away AND sort it for you.

More info is available here.

I spoke to the Islington Council Communications team and apparently this service, known as co-mingling, is one of many measures employed by the council that have seen their recycling rates double in 2 years to 18%.

Islington seem to be very keen to engage on key resource issues such as recycling and the three R's: reduce, reuse & recycle are very close to their hearts.

The spokesman explained that recycling is only part of the story for them and that they are also looking at ways to combat other issues such as packaging waste and so on.

He continued that they were also really proud to spotlight Islington's new Household Waste & Recycling Center, the iRecycle Center on Caledonian Road.

This center, which has a full-time Education Manager, provides a learning space designed in association with the UK's Science Museum. It features various games and interactive opportunities to get students understanding the various materials involved in Recycling. Additionally visitors can watch recycled waste arriving in the Tipping Hall thus reconnecting with waste.

When we throw stuff away we tend to assume it stops being a problem - with initiatives like this that disconnect is being addressed.

Very commendable use of public funds if you ask me.

Namaste

CH

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