Kent Community Recycling Newsletter
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With the recent tanker driver strikes we have seen fuel shortages, with people panic buying petrol and diesel and some filling stations running out.
Until we have a good and reliable system of public transport people will continue to be reliant on their cars.
We have said many times that we would like to see an interlinked rural and urban public transport system.
The idea is that people would travel via a system similar to cable cars. Passengers would travel in computerised capsules to their destinations. It might seem futuristic, but it may well be the way ahead!
Here at KCR, we would like to see vehicles running on hydrogen, rather than petrol and diesel, especially when we live on an island which is surrounded by water! The Government seems to be unwilling to look at this because of the amount of duty they would lose, but the technology is there; it was used by London taxis in the First World War.
We need to get away from our dependency on oil, otherwise we are going to be in trouble.
Biofuels are being grown, but this is land which should be given to food and this is one of the factors causing the surge in food prices.
We need to ask, also, why Americans pay less than half of what we pay for a litre of fuel.
They pay £2 per gallon, and we pay £6 per gallon
This is a subject we have commented on many times, but is back in the news locally as Shepway Friends of the Earth have recently held a protest about over packaging at the Asda supermarket in Folkestone.
Mark Wyatt, of KCR, said: "Much food is over-packaged. Supermarkets try to blame the manufacturers but much of what they sell is own brand, so they do have a lot of control over this."
There is a worrying trend towards supermarkets using Tetra-Paks at the moment, rather than steel food tins, for a range of goods. This is because supermarkets can get more square packets on a shelf, than circular tins.
However, steel tins can be recycled and the Tetra-Paks cannot, as they are made of a combination of plastic, aluminium and cardboard.
Mark said: "People need to realise they pay for packaging. According to experts each household spends about £8 a week on packaging, or around £400 a year. Packaging has changed over the last few decades into a massive marketing machine rather than something which allows goods to be transported in a useable condition. But until supermarkets see a slow-down in their tills they will not do anything about this."
A recent article in the Daily Mail revealed how much packaging there is on a range of everyday items at various supermarkets. They found three peppers came with 3g of packaging, a 400g tub of strawberries included 27g of packaging, 500g of minced beef had 28g of packaging and 250g of fresh salmon had 43g of packaging.
For a long time the Government has been holding the production of GM food at bay, but now, with rising food prices, it seems this is looking like a possible solution to increase food production.
Mark Wyatt, of KCR, said: "It is an intensive way of producing food, but the quality and the lack of risk is not yet proven. It is not natural. I do not agree with it, as we should be living with nature, not messing around with it."
The Guardian is running a competition for those who have ideas on how to improve the environment or encourage green living in their community.
The newspaper has £400,000 to share between individuals and groups who come up with inspiring projects.
To find out more visit guardian.co.uk/greenliving.
It appears that the Leader of Shepway District Council has abandoned plans to recycle/compost our kitchen waste – a problem common to us all and one that needs tackling.
What a shame! It is simply a case of there being a way but no will.
It can’t be put off forever!!
- Install low energy light bulbs.
- Invest in an energy monitor to see where you are wasting electricity.
- Buy rechargeable batteries.
- Use real nappies, not disposables.
- Make your own compost, from fruit and veg peelings and grass clippings.
- Cut down on your food waste, make a dish from leftovers the following day and freeze food.
- Install a water meter.
- Walk or cycle and leave the car at home.
- Re-use carrier bags - some shops now charge for them.