Notes from WaRTIG meeting 4.3.08, taken by Jessica Gwynne
Jo/Alice/Mel and Jess were there.
1. Previous: Lack of momentum - meetings left a feeling that people really aren't interested in the subject: BUT NOT ANY MORE!!
2. Mel talked about 2 years spent doing research - trying to increase awareness of reducing/re - using in B&H - set about it looking at her own life and how she dealt with stuff she didn't need any more - each time there was something that there wasn't an established recycling facility for, she'd contact the Council and ask around - did a stall at Hove Station and the Farmers Market to talk to people about recycling and get discussion into the community - set up a website - http://www.thegreencentre.co.uk/ -idea being that every possible recycling scheme is on the website, updated weekly - soon getting a double decker bus to travel around and get the recycling message out to places where people congregate (eg Tesco's) - also doing workshops in schools and businesses
Mel handled half a ton of screw - on plastic milk bottle tops in the last 6 months - there's a company in Portsmouth that granulates them, then the stuff goes to another company in the Midlands which mnakes them into stuff like binbags and garden furniture
3. Alice asked about community composting - definitely an area that needs to be looked at in B&H
4. Jo - the Great re - Skilling - Cowley Club 10 May 10 till 4 - following on from vv successful Buy Nothing Day last November, the next -the Great Re - Skilling - will be on 10 May - during Brighton Festival: so far -
Beth has volunteered to do 3 workshops inc. papermaking and wormeries
Alice will be involved in a Fixing Things workshop; patching/darning/mending/sewing on buttons etc
NEED more people to do workshops
ALSO HELP wanted to set up and be there on the day
Suggestions
- get people to bring fresh herbs from their gardens for tea
5. Purpose for the group:
?Closing the loop; finding and recommending sustainable solutions for dealing with Recycling and "Waste" in Brighton and Hove?
6. Jess - idea of setting out a brief for an audit from a long term Sustainability point of view(defining sustainability along Gaian lines) of how Recycling and "Waste" is dealt with in B&H, from a list of ALL perceived 'waste streams' and recycling streams; a snapshot of the companies that currently deal with it and their processes, networks and geographical locations; concluding with what IS sustainable, and what isn't, with sustainable recommendations.
NEXT MEETING TBA (asap)
Notes from Waste & Recycling group meeting – Tue 4 March
