Recycling Roundup 6th November
- By Adam Watts
- 8 Nov 2017
Recycling Roundup 6th November
A non-profit organisation in San Francisco helps teachers and children stay creative while helping the environment, by saving materials destined for landfill and donating them to schools for arts and crafts projects. SCRAP was founded in 1976, in a time when schools were keen to have artists in their classrooms, but there was no money for materials to work with. SCRAP donated materials to the schools that otherwise would have ended up in landfill.
The company’s director said that they are currently managing to divert 250 tonnes of material from landfill per year, and their goal is to keep on diverting more. Less material in landfill means less pollution and less of a need for energy and raw materials to manufacture new products.
Materials are used in workshops to inspire people to be creative while also being sustainable. The organisation teaches participants about looking after the planet and raises awareness of environmental issues.
A Grantham-based recycling company, Mid UK Recycling has been showing their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wrapping bales of recyclable waste in pink wrap instead of the company’s trademark black and green.
The company is involved in a global campaign to raise awareness of the importance of being aware of breast health, how to prevent breast cancer, and the current research into the disease.
The manufacturers of the pink wrap, Trioplast donates to the charity Breast Cancer Now, each time a roll of wrap is bought by the businesses taking part.
The company’s participation has been noted on social media, and pictures of the pink wrap have appeared all over social media.
Staff also took part in the ‘Wear it Pink’ day on 20th October, and wore pink to work and donated to the charity to show their support.
People in Oxfordshire have been driving away from rubbish tips when they find out that fees for taking their rubbish there have increased. The charges increased on 1st October, and they range from £1.50 for some non- household items and can be up to £10 for some items. Previously, residents could dispose of 3 items free of charge at any of Oxfordshire’s 7 tips, and another 10 items could be disposed of for only £1 each.
Now there are fears that people will resort to fly-tipping or putting the wrong waste in their general waste.
The council defended the increased charges, saying that people can still dispose of household waste for free. They say that for other waste, they had not increased the disposal charges for 15 years. The new fees are £1.50 per item, for non-household waste such as DIY waste. They add that they have done everything to keep people informed about the changes, including putting up banners and leaflets at the recycling centres in the months leading up to the changes.
Residents were consulted about charges in 2015-6 and the majority of people indicated that they would rather pay an increased fee than have their local tip close. The council are keen to emphasise that fly-tipping is illegal, and that the penalties are harsh for offenders. They are working with other councils in the area to bring prosecutions against perpetrators.
