Category: recycling

Interesting article in today’s Guardian G2 section about the problems we have as a country with waste and how to dispose of it.

The government’s pledge to increase recycling and lower waste has meant a confusing raft of implementations that many people can’t keep track of.

There are countless reports of people being fined for what seems like a minor transgression and increasing frustration as different councils do different things.

I’m all for being green. No-one can be perfect, but I try as hard as I can to recycle, drive minimal distances, use public transport, I haven’t been on a plane in more than 2 years, the list goes on…

The one area I find myself with problems, though, is with packaging. Where I live farmers’ markets are a rarity and we don’t have the luxury of lovely butchers and grocers nearby, so as with much of the population, we have to make do with Tesco or Sainsbury’s.

And it’s the supermarkets I have the issue with. Their crusade to reduce plastic bags seems to be a bit of a smokescreen. If they really wanted to do their bit for the environment, they’d do something about plastic packaging.

There are almost 50 types of plastic and it may surprise many people to know that all of them are recyclable. Yup, all of it!

Sadly, only 7% of plastic is being recycled at present, mainly because the majority of councils don’t have the ability.

Now, somewhere along the line there’s a problem. Part of it seems to me to be down to local councils, but surely it makes more sense to try and do without most of the plastic packaging.

Supermarkets have to try and do loose produce more. Yes, it may be more convenient to pick up a punnet of pre-packed mushrooms, but it’s not eco-friendly and not cost-effective.

I’m not obsessed by recycling (see previous entry), but sometimes I find it tough to understand what’s so difficult about it.

Most councils give you a box or bags in which to put your bottles, paper, plastic, cans, whatever and they then collect every week or two from outside your front door.

I live in a coach house, that is attached to a building made into flats and I just don’t get it when people like my neighbour consistently getd rid of their bottles in the rubbish bin. I mean, why? How tough is it to put them in an orange bag? Can you seriously not have heard or read how important it is to recycle stuff?

I could assume something sweeping like, “he’s too young to understand it”, but the guy’s in his mid-20s and owns his flat, so he can hardly be accused of lack of responsibility.

What’s more irritating is that the orange recycling bags are put in the entrance hall every week before collection… and he has to walk past them to get to his front door.

I know, I should get a life and start worrying about other more important things… but hey, isn’t the environment important enough?