Plastic film recycling in Shropshire

Alot of people ask us about what to do with plastic film because it cant be collected with the Councils plastic recycling service. However its a really simple answer - you can take this type of plastic back to the larger supermarkets and recycle it at their in-store carrier bag recycling points - this includes all of the larger Asda, Sainsbury, Co-op, Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets in Shropshire.

What types of plastic film are accepted?

They accept any polyethene a.k.a. low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film which is sometimes marked with a number 4.   This includes things like: -

•plastic wrappers from bakery goods

•plastic breakfast cereal liners

•plastic toilet roll wrappers

•plastic bags from fruit and veg

•plastic carrier bags

•plastic bread bags

•plastic freezer bags

•plastic magazine wrap

•plastic shrink wrap

If you are unsure look out for the label on the packet which should say "recycle with your carrier bags at larger stores - not at the kerbside".

The supermarkets collect it at the front of the store and then they use "reverse haulage" so when new stock is delivered the empty truck takes away all their plastic wrapping. The plastic is recycled at a variety of mainly UK based reprocessors who use it to make recycled plastic carrier bags and rubbish bags.

It is said that the average household in Shropshire gets through about 25kg each year which sounds small but means theres about 5,000 tonnes of the stuff just in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin each year, most of which is going straight into landfill.  So do your bit for the planet and slim your bin, help keep this out of landfill by taking it back to the supermarket. Its not like you have to go out of your way to do it after all!  By recycling your plastic bags and film you also save taxpayers money, create jobs and investment, help to reduce oil use, save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Textile recycling in Shropshire

Textiles recycling

Charity shops welcome donations of clothes and other textiles. In most parts of Shropshire they also post bags through your door and offer free kerbside collections too.  You can also recycle textiles at the Councils Household Recycling Centres and at most of the supermarket recycling points.

What textiles can be recycled?

• clean clothing
• towels
• sheets and blankets
• duvet covers
• hats, scarfs, gloves
• leathers, belts and handbags
• pillow cases
• shoes in pairs
• curtains

To keep them clean and dry, please put your textiles in a bag before putting them in the recycling bank.

What textiles don't they want?

• Dirty material
• Duvets / pillows
• Carpets / rugs

What happens to the textiles?

The textiles go to BCR Global Textiles near Birmingham where they are sorted according to quality. Nice wearable items get re-used in second hand clothes shops mostly in Africa.  The lower quality items which cannot be sold secondhand get shredded down for cleaning cloths, and used to make 'shoddy' which is used for stuffing sofas and cushions.

For more information visit

• BCR Textiles

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Dont let your pumpkin go to waste this Haloween! Scoop out the insides to make a delicious soup and then why not make a tasty snack from the seeds as well!  Here is our simple recipe for making salted roasted pumpkin seeds.

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.

2. Wash and pat-dry the seeds.

3. In a bowl or lunchbox, cover them with a generous glug of oil and a generous pinch of salt.

4. Spread the seeds evenly across a baking tray.

5. Keep them in the oven until they start to turn a crispy brown colour (about 30 minutes).

6. Leave on the side to cool.

And remember of course to home compost the pumpkin shell afterwards! www.shropshire.getcomposting.com

Bubble House Wormeries

Whether you are a single person living alone, a family with children, vegetarian or meat eater, or a business producing food or green waste, there is a better way of dealing with your organic waste than throwing it in the bin. Garden owner, allotment holder, flat dweller, business or educational establishment, this is the one component of rubbish that you can recycle yourselves, at source, with no need for it to be transported else where to be dealt with.

Earthworms have worked tirelessly for millenia aerating, tilling and fertilising the soil. The practise of vermiculture is at least a century old but fell out of fashion when the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides became commonplace last century. Their use led to the destruction of earthworms on a colossal scale. Vermiculture is now being revived worldwide with diverse ecological objectives such as waste management, soil detoxification, soil regeneration and sustainable agriculture.
 

We are lucky in our area to have a local 'green' business (based just over the south Shropshire border in Worcestershire) called Bubblehouse Worms who breed our own worms as they don’t like the idea of them being imported, and they are hand harvested so that they reach the customers in peak condition. These wonderful creatures will gobble up your food waste and turn it into nature’s finest fertiliser, worm casts.

Bubblehouse sell a wide range of products for managing your waste and improving your garden but perhaps the most iconic is the stacked wormery which incorperates a pretty plant pot on the top.  This way you can keep worms, process food waste and grow your own whilst you're at it! They are ideal for places without access to a garden or for anyone who wants to be more sustainable.  For more information visit www.bubblehouseworms.com

 

Make soup to use up old food and avoid waste

With the long winter nights now that the clocks have gone back and with the weather turning colder we all need to make the most of lovely leftovers and forgotten foods and turn them into winter warmers.

A couple of items many of our Master Composters grow on their allotments and small holding which go great together is spinach and potato.  

Spinach is an excellent antioxidant and is low fat too. Use fresh or wilted – or leftovers – it will make a really tasty soup.  Potatoes are a great everyday store cupboard essential which keep really well if stored in a cool dark place.  It doesn’t matter if your potatoes look a bit tired or start sprouting simply give them a good peel to bring them back to their best.

Here's a simple soup recipe for you all to try

Ingredients:

·          

1   1 x finely chopped onion

·         3 x potatoes, diced

·         2 x pints vegetable stock

·         5 x handfuls of fresh spinach leaves

·         Salt & pepper

Method:

1.    Place the potatoes, onion in a large saucepan and fry lightly for 10 minutes.

2.    Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are soft and cooked.

3.    Season with ground black pepper and add the spinach. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

If you wish you can then blend the soup to suit.

Winter warmers can be the perfect way to turn cheap, healthy veg and staples into tasty warming dinners for the family. Whatever the size of your household most of these dishes can be frozen in individual portions, giving you homemade, cheap ready meals for those nights when the last thing you want to do is cook.  For more recipes like this visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Furniture re-use in Shropshire

Furniture re-use in Shropshire

We often get asked when we are out promoting waste minimisation in Shropshire with Shropshire Master Composters about how to deal with big bulky items like furniture and white goods - especially if you dont have a car to get to the tip. Luckily in Shropshire there are several local furniture re-use schemes.  All schemes collect good quality furniture, electrical items, white goods, bedding, beds, curtains, crockery and cutlery - and pass them on to those in need. 

Save yourself a trip to the tip, contact your local scheme to arrange a collection:

• Shrewsbury Furniture Scheme - 01743 246668
• Oswestry & North Shropshire Furniture Scheme - 01691 679817
• South Shropshire Furniture Scheme - 01584 877788
• Bridgnorth District Furniture Scheme - 01746 764494
• Reviive Shop in Shrewsbury - 01743 588458

What is a furniture reuse scheme?

All schemes are non-profit groups set up to recycle unwanted items within Shropshire. Most have some capacity to restore and repair items but they prefer working, good quality items. The schemes are run by a combination of paid staff, trainees and volunteers.

What items cant they collect?

• Gas appliances of any sort.
• Soft furnishings without Fire Regulation labels.
• Glass items without British Standards kite-mark.

What happens to the items?

Wherever possible the items are repaired and reused by selling them on at low prices. This helps to benefit local Shropshire residents on low incomes.

For more information visit: - 

 

• Shrewsbury Furniture Scheme
• Oswestry furniture recycling scheme
• South Shropshire furniture scheme
• Bridgnorth Furniture Scheme
• Reviive
• Telford Furniture Scheme
• Furniture re-use network

Get Composting this Autumn

Make the most of those falling leaves - Get Composting this autumn...


The nights are drawing in and there is a distinct chill in the air, all signs that autumn is now upon us. Met Office figures show that 2013 has been the hottest summer since 2006 and the higher than average temperatures along with the occasional heavy downpour, has encouraged plant growth, creating an abundance of garden waste.

The traditional picture of the autumn clear up are mountains of leaves blowing about and smoky bonfires, polluting the atmosphere. A much more environmentally-friendly way to dispose of this waste is to compost it at home. Simply throw it into a compost bin and over the winter months it will rot down to produce a nutrient-rich, free supply of compost.

Fallen leaves, pruning’s, dead plants and flowers are great material to feed the compost bin and nature makes sure they are in plentiful supply. A good tip is to use a lawnmower to collect up leaves: this shreds the leaves and helps to speed up the composting process.

The secret of great compost is a good mix of materials (you don’t want too much of any one material). If you have too many leaves for your compost bin, put the excess into a bin bag, make a few holes in it, and leave it in a secluded spot to rot down. It takes a little longer but the end result is leaf mould, a fine product that could be used in place of peat as potting compost for container plants.

Shropshires local authorities are offering discounted compost bins in partnership with www.getcomposting.com. Prices start at £16.98 plus delivery – less than half the recommended retail price of £39.

A Buy One Get One Half Price offer is also available on selected items for residents in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin - call 0844 571 4444 or visit www.shropshire.getcomposting.com