The following is a copy of a reply, sent by Green Here, to a council recycling questionnaire. Please feel free to add you thoughts and comments on this post.
Reduction of waste
Our principal concern is with the reduction of waste in the first place. One area to be addressed is packaging of goods sold in shops and stores, which then finds its way into household bins. Packaging of goods in shops has three principal functions – 1 Protection from damage in transit, 2 – maintenance of hygiene, and 3 manufacturers’ or retailers’ advertising or display to encourage sales. We would encourage changes to be made to reduce packaging waste and so avoid excessive landfill, whilst maintaining these three functions. Some suggestions are as follows -:
1. Encourage a move away from polystyrene packaging to compostable products. This may have to be done by charging in due course for the removal of non-compostable materials.
2. Where plastics are necessary for hygiene purposes, use only bio-degradable ones, which state on them the period within which they will biodegrade.
3. Start a campaign in Hull to become a “plastic bag-less” city. We are the city of Wilberforce and also a Fair Trade city. Let’s start a campaign to be the first city to significantly reduce the use of supermarket plastic bags. Some towns have already done so. There are many manufacturers who make cotton or linen shopping bags, and some of the stores are providing re-usable alternatives now. Let’s have a city-wide campaign to enthuse and encourage people.
Community Composting
Even with the current packaging materials, much more composting is possible. Additional composting facilities are going to be essential if landfill is to be reduced, especially if in due course more packaging materials are made to be biodegradable. Many people are willing to take part in this type of initiative, but are helped if they have to make as little extra effort as possible.
We suggest the following -:
1. Set up a network of community composting sites in every neighbourhood where people can bring cardboard, kitchen and garden waste and other biodegradable materials. These could be attached to allotments (gardeners would welcome it), and to council owned sites such as schools and offices, where space allows. This could also form a useful additional teaching aid.
2. Encourage the voluntary National Master Composter Scheme, (as other Local Authorities are currently doing) and use the Master Composters at the community composting sites and for talks to groups and schools.
3. Provide every household on request with a small kitchen waste bin for composting. This will help with segregation of materials at the time of use and encourage a higher level of composting for kitchen waste. These can then be emptied into the green waste sacks for transport to the local community composting site.
Recycling
1. The black recycling bins for glass, cans and plastics seem to be well used. For some households it is apparent that the small black bins are not large enough. We suggest that a new generation of larger black bins be provided for addresses where the bin is regularly overfull, to encourage further effort.
2. The blue bins for paper are also well used. Some institutions such as schools, colleges and the Universities need to have a clear policy on paper use and paper recycling. This should be encouraged.
4. We also recommend that regular research is carried out by the Council into the usage of household recycling bins by area. Having only global data on recycling is not sufficient. If messages are to be put out about recycling, it is essential that it is specifically targeted, based on evidence.
David Westwood
“Green Here”
6th December 2007
