Kent Community Recycling Newsletter
Click HERE for a printable version.page 1 of 2. For page 2 click HERE
Issue 128 February 2009
HELLO READERS
Welcome to our January and February newsletter.
We are hoping many of you already have "green" lifestyles, but for those of you that don't, why not turn over a new leaf in 2009?
Read on for lots of tips on how you can help the environment and ensure it is protected and there for future generations to enjoy.
If you would like to contact us: please email us, write to us at Kent Community Recycling, Aerodrome Road, Hawkinge, near Folkestone, Kent CT18 7AG or telephone us on 01303 893772. We look forward to hearing from you!
- Ditch those plastic bags.
- Buy re-usable bags.
- Change your light bulbs for energy efficient ones.
- Make sure your home is well insulated.
- Don't leave electrical items on standby - turn them off completely.
- Turn your heating thermostats down.
- Cut down on water wastage.
- Leave the car at home - and walk or cycle.
Despite articles on television and in the newspapers about recycling going through a difficult period, this recession gives us a great opportunity to go back to basics. If we find there is no market for recyclables then we should be re-using. We should use this period to think of ways of re-using materials we no longer want. People will be surprised when they think about how many uses they can come up with for different things.
We don't need to make life miserable, but we need to have an attitude similar to the attitude in the World Wars where households used everything until it could be used no more and wasted nothing.
It would be nice if schools, as a project, could research how people managed with little or nothing for the 10 years of our two World Wars.
Had enough of junk mail?
It is also bad news for the environment.
Put an end to it today by contacting the Mailing Preference Service on 020 7291 3310 or visit their website at www.mpsonline.org.uk
In these times of economic hardship we would draw your attention to two schemes both of which can save us money and both of which can provide a disciplined framework to help us through these times.
Firstly, we introduce LETS.
LETS is a Local Exchange Trading System or Scheme. They are local community based mutual aid networks in which people exchange all kinds of goods and services with one another, without the need for money.
LETS are revitalising communities throughout Britain. As grassroots initiatives they are open to everyone - people of all ages, skills and abilities; local clubs and associations; voluntary groups, charities, community initiatives; housing co-operatives, small businesses and local services - helping everyone to give and take, connect to new resources and find a genuine community identity.
LETS offer equal opportunities to all - whether employed or unemployed, financially secure or on low income, able or disabled, of any race, creed or colour. LETS use a system of community credits, so that direct exchanges do not have to be made.
People earn LETS credits by providing a service and can then spend the credit on whatever is offered by others on the scheme: for example childcare, transport, food, home repairs or the hire of tools and equipment.
Secondly, we commend CREDIT UNIONS
Credit Unions are financial institutions formed by an organised group of people with a common bond. Members of Credit Unions pool their assets to provide loans and other financial services to each other.
Credit Unions are not-for-profit co-operatives, owned by members and operated by mostly volunteer boards.
These factors allow Credit Unions to pay dividends to their members (not shareholders) and offer them lower loan rates, higher savings rates and fewer service fees. A Credit Union is a saving and loan organisation set up, owned and run by its members. It provides a real alternative for people who are concerned about how their money will be used and invested. Investors will know that their money is being used for the good of the community and will lead to the development of local traders and businesses.
The objectives are to provide financial services to the advantage of all members, to provide low cost loans to members over 18 years of age, to encourage members to save regularly and to promote careful money management to members.
A Credit Union works by receiving regular income from regular savers, grants and local companies, sponsorship etc. This creates a large pool of money, which earns interest from the bank and provides low cost loans to its members. As the membership grows, the pool of money grows, allowing the Credit Union to increase the number of loans, the interest from which in turn further increases the Credit Union's income.
Further information on both Schemes is available on the internet.
Following up from comments made in recent newsletters, in early January the energy minister was being interviewed on Newsnight and it was very worrying to see his pathetic grasp of the subject.
On percentages and timescales, normally strong areas with Government ministers, he was very sketchy.
He had no knowledge of how much energy we currently regenerate from wind, an uncaring view on the fact that a new wave of nuclear energy will take at least eight years to commission and in the case of gas he believes we can manage within the 20% we import through Norway, so ignoring the politically fragile roots through Eastern block countries.
To summarise, it really appears the Government have made no progress at all in the renewables field, despite massive publicity and they are only talking futuristically/out of necessity of further nuclear power by virtually handing over our ownership to the French, at a figure which illustrates how desperate our Treasury is for funds.
If readers care and if they don't want planned power cuts and reductions, then we suggest they communicate with their MPs, asking for detailed information on the Government's energy plans.
page 1 of 2. For page 2 click HERE
Here at KCR we believe there should be a return to weekly collections of food waste during 2009.
We believe there will be pressure on local authorities and MPs to reinstate these, to alleviate the problem of infestation.
Let's hope our prediction is right.
FOR 20 YEARS
TO LOCAL CHARITIES
&
WORTHY CAUSES
How many unwanted gifts do you have lying around the house following Christmas?
We think it would be a great idea if, on the first Saturday of January, village halls opened for people to swap unwanted presents.
We know the likes of Ebay and other such sites exist and this is one way of getting rid of unwanted gifts, but our idea takes away the commercial element and the need for money to exchange hands.
Tell us what you think!
We now have local authorities saying they cannot recycle material, as the revenue they have been getting from industry has collapsed.
While this is true that is only one source of income. They also get payments from county councils for the waste they divert from the waste stream and money from our council tax to dispose of it. So while one source of income has dried up the other two haven't.
People should get in touch with their local councils and ask about the economics of recycling - what is the cost and what is the income and then they can see what the net result is.
More stores are using symbols on their packaging indicating that the wrapping cannot be recycled. We welcome this honest approach, but if the packaging cannot currently be recycled then surely they should not be using it in the first place!
Recently we wrote to Sainsbury's about this.
Here is their reply from Stuart Lendrum, Head of Packaging:
"We are completely committed to reducing the packaging we use and making that packaging, which we do need, recyclable or home compostable, containing recycled content where possible. We are aware that our customers experience very different local authority recycling services and to that end we aim to specify materials which are recyclable in 70% of local authorities where technically possible.
Additionally we are currently working with the Goverment's waste and resources action programme on a 6 month mixed plastics recycling project as we recognise the need to further develop the recycling infrastructure in the UK, with the aim of recycling more materials and more of each material.
"In the new year you will start to see on pack the result of an initiative whereby other retailers in conjunction with Sainsbury's will now start to use the same recycling messages on pack thus giving both honest and consistent messages on recyclability across the country, while we shall continue to drive forward with our aims as stated above."
We are delighted to announce that in 2008 our website was visited 7988 times.
Let’s hope this year that even more people will find our website expressing views untainted by politicians or business!!
Sita UK has launched a new educational website, which highlights the importance of the 3 Rs - Reducing, Recycling and Re-using.
It encourages a change of attitude towards the earth and its resources and includes information, a quiz and games.
Pay it a visit at
www.sita.co.uk