Zero Waste Week - Make A Change

This week it's Zero Waste Week - a week that focuses on reducing landfill waste.  Waste that goes to landfill doesn't just disappear.  This waste is dumped in holes in the ground which are eventually covered and it then very slowly decomposes.  When I say very slowly I mean some of it takes hundreds of years to decompose.  If Henry VIII wore disposable nappies they'd still be out there somewhere, waiting for some poor archaeologist to dig up (not sure they would be museum worthy).

The by-products of this decomposition are not pleasant.  If you pop to the car park of the Madjeski Stadium you'll see methane vents dotted about allowing methane, a greenhouse gas, to be released from the rotting landfill below.  In 2011 methane from landfill accounted for 3.1% of greenhouse gases emitted in the UK.

Liquids can seep from the rotting waste polluting water courses far below the ground. 2,946 landfill sites are on flood planes and, with climate change likely to bring more intense rain and flood events, they are in danger of being flooded and releasing their toxic waste.

Each one of us can do a few simple things to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill.  I know life is busy and stressful but if we all made just one or two changes we could make an impact on the amount of waste we're packing away in landfill.

Here are a few things I do or have done:

Cloth Nappies

I used cloth nappies on both my boys.  If cloth nappies are used, and washed on low temperatures, they can be up to 40% better for the environment than disposables nappies.  You will also dramatically reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill, you won't have bins filled with poopy nappies and they can be better for baby's skin.  If you use them on the next baby you'll help the environment even more and save hundreds of pounds.

The beautiful sight of a line of fresh, clean nappies

Reusable Sanitary Protection

*Squeamish topic alert*.  Sanitary protection is another thing we buy, use once, then send to landfill.  Sadly landfill is not the only place it goes.  In 2013 the Marine Conservation Society held a beach clean across 96.7km of UK coast-line. They collected 428 tampons and tampon applicators per 4.4km and 1291 sanitary pads, panty liners and backing strips per 13.3km.  There many modern reusable alternatives.  I prefer a menstrual cup (most of my friends who've tried one wish they'd switched sooner) which can last for many years.  There are also washable sanitary pads which are a far cry from what was on offer 100 years ago.  Here's some helpful info on menstrual cups from Juno Magazine.

Meal Planning

I'll put my hands up.  I used to be terrible at portion control and often bought food that didn't get used.  I became a reformed character about 10 years ago.  Now I meal plan every week.  I only buy what I need and, thanks to an awesome measuring cup I bought from Tiger, my portion sizes are perfect.  I've heard many calls for Reading Borough Council to collect food waste.  In my opinion it's far more important not to create the waste in the first place.  If you cook food that's not used your wasting all the energy it took to produce, transport and cook that food!  Got leftovers?  Freeze them or have them another day in another meal.

Recycle

Just recycle everything you can.  My red bin is often more full than my grey bin and I have been seen jumping up and down in it to make more space.  We collect and recycle all our glass and, once my children have finished with toys, book and clothes, they head off to charity to be used again (and raise funds in the process - usually Age UK at the moment).

Move away from single use products 

When my boys were babies we bought what felt like hundreds of muslin cloths.  We still have them now and use them to mop up spills, wipe faces, as impromptu napkins when eating spaghetti and even to make blackberry jelly!  We've saved loads of kitchen roll by just using our muslin cloths.

Make a change today!

Could Be Useful: Christmas Opening Hours & Bin Collections

'11/12/2012
Reading Borough Council Press Release

Civic Centre

Visitors and callers to the Civic Centre over the Christmas and New Year period are being reminded of revised opening hours.

The Contact Centre will be open from 8am to 3pm on Christmas and New Year's Eve. Over the rest of the Christmas break it will be business as normal 8am to 6pm (closed Christmas, Boxing and New Year's Day). The 'face to face' service at the Civic Centre will be running from 9am to 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and 9am to 5pm other days. There will be no late night Revenues and Benefits 'face to face' service on Thursday 27 December

The usual out-of-hours emergency telephone service will operate throughout the Christmas and New Year period. The number to call is 0118 937 3737.

The Post Office at the Civic Centre will close at 12.30pm on Christmas Eve and 4pm on New Year's Eve.

Over at the Museum and Town Hall, they will be closed on Christmas Eve, reopening on Wednesday 2 January

Christmas Bin Collections

The Council's bin crews will be out collecting on normal working days and some Saturdays over the Christmas period, but not on the Bank Holidays over the Christmas period. Residents are advised to check their calendars for revised collection dates or log on to the Council's website at www.reading.gov.uk.

As usual, people are being encouraged to recycle as much of their Christmas waste as possible, putting cardboard, gift wrap and old cards in the red bins / boxes. People are reminded not to put recyclable rubbish in plastic carrier bags and also to put the right waste in their red bins / boxes - paper and card, cans, empty aerosols and plastic bottles only. Residents can also recycle their household batteries by putting them in a clear, sealed sandwich/freezer bag and leaving them on top of their red bin on collection day.

Reading Borough Council has nearly fifty bottle bank sites where people can recycle all their empty bottles and jars. Details of locations and recycling tips are on the Council's website at www.reading.gov.uk/bins..

Residents are being asked to make every effort to ensure that their household waste is contained in the grey bin.

Smallmead Household Waste and Recycling Centre will be open every day from 8am to 6pm, except on Christmas Day. More information at www.re3.org.uk/opening-and-access-times.asp.

Christmas Trees

Trees can be recycled as usual at the Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Alternatively people can recycle their Christmas trees using the green garden waste collection service. Trees must be chopped into pieces so they fit in the green waste bin or bag. Garden waste collections resume on Monday 21 January. Residents are advised to check their calendars   log on to the council's website at www.reading.gov.uk.

Sport and Leisure Centres

Arthur Hill, Central Pool, Meadway and Palmer Park will be open during the holiday period but closed Christmas, Boxing and New Year's Day. Highdown will be closed from 24 December to 2 January. Please check with each centre for details of holiday opening and closing hours.

Reading Libraries

Reading's Libraries will be open 9am to 1pm on Christmas Eve except Southcote and Whitley which will be closed all day. They are all closed Christmas, Boxing and New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve libraries will close at 4pm except Southcote which will be closed all day and Whitley which will be open 2pm to 4pm.'

You don't have to vote Green to be green.

I believe green and  environmental issues are very important so was very pleased when Reading & District Labour Party announced it's Green Policy Forum.  I haven't made it to a meeting yet but hope to do so in the near future.  I try and do what I can to help our environment as you can see by reading through some of my past posts but there is always room for improvement.  

 I look forward to seeing  what comes out of these meetings.

Reading & District Labour Party Media Release 

22 March 2012

Labour is talking about Green Policies

The first meeting of Reading and District Labour Party’s Green Policy Forum took place on 21^st March, attended by members of the public, Labour Party members, and Paul Gittings, the Lead Councillor for environmental matters. The meeting identified a wide range of topics that could be addressed by the Forum, but decided to work initially on a short list - getting developers to provide district heating schemes, using coppice to provide fuel for heating public buildings, systems that encourage green modes of transport, the relationship between health and environmental factors, and creating a vision of more locally focused commerce.

Forum organiser Roger Sym was very pleased with the start made by the Forum and will be arranging further meetings through the rest of the year. If you have ideas on recycling, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or other green policies, this is a chance for you to get them put into practice.

The next meeting will be at RISC (35-39 London Street, Reading RG1 4PS) in Room 3, on Wednesday 16^th May, starting at 8pm.