TRC strive for an environment where all communities in Bristol, and across the UK, are recycling, reusing and reducing their waste

A singing, dancing robot called Cycler is coming to schools across Bristol to inspire children to learn about how to reduce, re-use and recycle rubbish.  From 17th July, for a week, Cycler will work with The Recycling Consortium’s (TRC’s) Education Project to teach pupils all over the city about the Council’s new waste and recycling collection services.

Cycler’s timing for his visits to nine Bristol schools is perfect, coinciding with the Council’s introduction of new recycling collections for food, green waste and cardboard over the summer.

Everybody’s looking forward to Cycler’s visit with great enthusiasm.  Pupils from Sea Mills Junior School who were told about his visit responded with excitement: Hayden Cole, aged 9, said “Cool, I wonder if he eats stuff?” “ It’ll be amazing when he comes!”, said Alex Dymond aged 8, and Dylan Clarke aged 9 said “I’m really looking forward to finding out about what else I can recycle.” Pupils from St Teresa’s Primary School were equally excited; “I would like Cycler to come because he looks funny and he will dance and he’s made out of recycling stuff” said Anne Comer in Year 4, and Corey Morgan said “I am looking forward to seeing Cycler because he’s been on Blue Peter and he sings raps”.

With Cycler’s help, Helen Peake, TRC’s Education Officer for Bristol, will be teaching pupils a new “Box it, Bucket, Bin it” song to help them learn about Bristol’s new collection services.  She said “Children love seeing Cycler in action and singing along with him.  Cycler’s humorous rap is a great way raising children’s awareness of the importance of caring for our environment.  After the performances I see children excitedly telling their parents what they have learnt, which encourages the whole family to participate fully in the recycling services.”

For the 10th anniversary of Real Nappy Week (24-30 April 2006) The Recycling Consortium’s Real Nappy Project joined forces with the Natural Nursery to create a ‘Mountain of Nappy Waste’ on North Street Green just off North Street in Southville, Bristol.  The public were invited to come along to view the amount of waste just one baby in disposable nappies can create from birth to potty training.  130 bin bags stuffed with straw – 1 for every week a baby is in disposable nappies over a 2 and a half year period (the average time it takes to potty train a baby).  There was information available on how to use real nappies and details on applying for a £30.00 money off voucher which can be used on purchases of real nappies worth £50.00 or more.

Increased Campaign Capacity for The Recycling Consortium

A successful new appointment has allowed TRC to separate its individual work streams and to develop an even stronger portfolio.  Canvassing and monitoring projects, will now become the sole responsibility of a leading light in recycling canvassing; Ralph Openshaw.

Ralph’s interesting career has led him to develop an expertise in project management, data collection projects and partnership building.  An interest in the environment led him to move from his small building company to set up an environmental centred language school.  Then head-hunted by Cornwall Friends of the Earth to become their environmental campaigner, he helped set up Cornwall Waste Action. With CWA he developed a full-scale, county-wide 120,000 household project in 2005.  A high contact rate of 50% from this project received national acclaim and interest in the development of similar projects for other authorities.

“I aim to retain TRC’s formidable position in providing data collection, monitoring and canvassing for Local Authorities and community organisations,” said Ralph.  “I also wish to develop the innovative work that TRC is so good at.  The Waste Doctor campaign, in partnership with Bristol City Council, supported big changes in the collection of residual waste by dealing with customer concerns within their homes; I see this type of work becoming more vital as Local Authorities look to reach stringent targets.”

During his time with Cornwall Waste Action, he was pivotal in developing the important Recycle for Cornwall Campaign, in partnership with Resolve Kernow and all Cornish Local Authorities.  The experience helped to secure his expertise in forming and working with partnership groups, something he wants to develop whilst working within TRC.  He was also able to offer support to community groups wishing to instigate waste reduction projects and with the writing of funding bids to make them possible.

Ralph is keen to use his expertise to help Local Authorities who wish to develop their own doorstep and data collection campaigns, and to offer to organisations who require it, bid writing assistance for WRAP funded projects.  Contact him on 0117 9304 355 for more information.

A county-wide Swap Shop event, run by The Recycling Consortium’s (TRC) Community Action Groups (CAGs) in Oxfordshire successfully diverted over 1500kg of rubbish from landfill. The wide geographical spread of the event, held in March, made it the first of its kind in the country.  Its success has inspired others across Britain to take similar action to support the concept of reuse.

Fifteen communities eager to re-use items that would otherwise have ended up in landfill ran “Swap Shops” in community halls and on local streets. Members of the public across Oxfordshire were encouraged to either take items to participating venues or to place them outside their homes, and to pick up anything they wanted for free. Items intended for swapping were marked with a green balloon marked with the specifically created Reuse Swap Shop brand

Moira Dorey, TRC’s CAG Co-ordinator, said: “We had a fantastic turnout for the event. We estimate that over 750 people turned up to the events held in halls, although it is difficult to know how many people swapped items from street events. The feedback has been tremendous, people are obviously keen to reduce waste and re-use items, when given the opportunity.”

The Swap Shops, also supported by Oxfordshire County Council, took place in Buscot, Charlbury, Coleshill, Didcot, Faringdon, Finstock, Wantage, Wallingford, Wheatley, Witney and Wolvercote and in Oxford at Barracks Lane, Polstead Road, Sunnymead and Waterways.

CAG organisers are happy to share information on regional Swap Shops.  To find out more about this or about Community Action Group activities contact Kate Thomas on 0117 9304355 or kate.Thomas@resourcefutures.co.uk or visit www.recyclingconsortium.org.uk and click on the CAG link.

An animated film, funded by South Gloucestershire Environmental Body using old Landfill Tax money, has been produced by the TRC education team. It has been received very well by local schools. A flyer sent to 110 South Gloucestershire schools stimulated 60 schools to request copies of the DVD. The five minute film will also be shown at the South Gloucestershire Waste Forum.

North Somerset recycling officers saw the film and were so impressed that they wanted one too! As a result the TRC education team are working hard to get a North Somerset version. Examples of materials collected for recycling in North Somerset have been sourced to create a new Dan Recycling Man character to suit the location.

Local Councils in Partnership to Recycle More
Four local authorities have joined together to run a significant pilot incentive project.   Pledges Win Prizes, which is funded by The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), aims to discover the best ways to  of encouraging recycling.  The project, which will run until March 2006, will take place in selected areas around across the region from October 2005.

DEFRA have awarded Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils funding in order to run the project, the results of which could influence the future of recycling in the area.

Across the region householders in specific pilot areas will be visited by Recycling Advisors, who will offer them the chance to pledge to recycle using their local recycling service.  Those who make a pledge to recycle regularly will be eligible for a regular prize draw of £50, with over 40 winners every month across the four authority areas.

Pledges Win Prizes is open also open to households with a kerbside collection service and to those residentsin flats who use mini recycling centres. Each month the winners who have made a pledge to recycle will be randomly chosen from the block of flats with the highest use of the mini recycling centre during that period.

“The funding from DEFRA has given us a fantastic opportunity to find the answer to an important question – ‘do pledges and incentive projects help recycling residents to recycle more?’,“ said Sarah Raban from Bath and North East Somerset Council.  “If this project is a success, and is found to increase recycling, then the Pledges Win Prizes project could be offered to many more residents in the region.”

In most areas the winning prizes will be offered as a cash prize, however, in South Gloucestershire, residents will be asked to nominate their favourite British charity, which will then receive the award. 

A joint intiative of:

Bath & North East Somerset Council
Action Line 01225 39 40 41
actionline@bathnes.gov.uk
www.bathnes.gov.uk/wasteservices

Bristol City Council
Recycling Helpline 0117 903 1221
recycling@bristol-city.gov.uk
www.bristol-city.gov.uk/recycling

North Somerset Council
Recycling Helpline 01934 88 88 02
rethinkrubbish@n-somerset.gov.uk
www.n-somerset.gov.uk/environment

South Gloucestershire Council
Streetcare Helpdesk 01454 86 80 00
streetcare@southglos.gov.uk
www.southglos.gov.uk/wasteservices

The Recycling Consortium
Pledges Win Prizes 0117 929 7283
pledges@resourcefutures.co.uk
Working in conjunction with DEFRA

Thousands of children in schools across South Gloucestershire will be given a lesson this week by a singing and dancing android!  Cycler, the rapping robot, is calling in on nine schools in the district.  He aims to teach over two thousand primary school children about how they can care for their environment by reducing, reusing and recycling waste.

Cycler is a state of the art robot who has been created by Waste Watch, a national organisation which promotes and encourages action on the 3Rs.  He is coming to South Gloucestershire to support the Schools SORT IT!* Education Project . He is made from items of rubbish, such as used plastic bottles and cans.  He dances, raps and chats to children about waste related issues. 

“Cycler really captures the attention of the children and tells them what they can do to help stop waste going to landfill.  He brings to life important messages about waste and he reflects what SORT IT!* is all about,” said Mary Lewis, Education Officer from The Recycling Consortium, who runs the SORT IT!* Education project.  “After a visit from Cycler, the pupils are aware of the importance of reducing waste and reusing things.  They also find out how to use their SORT IT!* green bins and boxes for recycling as many items as possible.”

Every household in the UK throws away over one tonne of waste every year.  About three quarters of this could be reused or recycled which would stop the waste of these valuable resources. “Cycler raps and talks to the children about ways of stopping wastefulness,” said Mary. “They quickly learn his song and soon join in – it’s a message they really enjoy taking home!”

An elephant has been trumpeting the message “never forget to recycle” and has earned a name for himself in the process!  A competition was launched when a recycling roadshow went on tour to a Community Festival in Hartcliffe, and the star of the show was an elephant made from recycled drinks cans. 

Whilst parents talked to recycling advisors called “Waste Doctors” about how to separate their waste from their recyclables using Bristol’s kerbside service, children were able to enter the competition to give the aluminium elephant a good name.  Georgia Young, aged 6, won a bag of prizes today for naming the elephant Heffalump. 

The elephant is part of a city-wide project which was introduced in June when there were important changes to refuse and recycling services introduced by Bristol City Council.  Many local residents have been requesting help and advice to get to grips with the new systems.   A team of people called Waste Doctors, managed by The Recycling Consortium on behalf of Bristol City Council, have been helping Bristol residents to recycle, compost and reduce their waste.     “You may see Waste Doctors with the Heffalump out and about at roadshows and at public events.  They are there to answer questions and give advice about what people can do to help reduce Britains waste mountain.  Waste Doctors have also been giving hundreds of residents advice on the phone or through home visits," said Dr Mo McManus, co-ordinator of the Waste Doctor project from The Recycling Consortium.  “The project has been hugely successful because people in Bristol are now recycling more than ever before,” she said.

“The newly named elephant has been attracting a great deal of attention.  Not only does he highlight aluminium as one of the items that you can recycle through the Black Box service, but he also has created a wonderful recycling mascot that children and adults love,” said Mo.  So watch out for the Heffalump, as his trunk is packed full of useful advice to help increase recycling in Bristol.

Anyone wanting to talk to a Waste Doctor or to find out more about recycling their rubbish in Bristol should contact Bristol City Council on 0117 9223838.

Pupils from St Anne's Park Primary School have enjoyed an enrichment week focusing on 'Caring for our Planet.' A key feature of the week was workshops run by Helen Peake, Education Officer with The Recycling Consortium (TRC), encouraging the children to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE their waste.    All 130 pupils, ranging from the age of 3 to 11, participated in one of TRC's fun curriculum-linked lessons.  Younger pupils wiggled around the hall, pretending to be minibeasts living in the compost bin and acted out the process of a steel can being recycled.  Older classes made instruments out of waste materials and their own recycled paper, as well as investigating the compost bin habitat.  Deputy Headteacher, Keith Ford, said it had been a great week.  "The children have had an inspirational and highly stimulating opportunity to explore rubbish and waste.  From 'Scrapman' to planters, junk modelling to minibeast hunts in the compost bin.  An educational and fun time has been had by all."   Some pupils were so inspired by the week that they decided to write their own newspaper article.  The following was written by Y5 children from Mr Ford's class:  

It’s been a very hot week at Bristol, everyone has their cropped trousers and sun hats on.  But at St Anne’s Park School it’s been cool!  Helen came to work with us, and she’s an expert on recycling, reusing and reducing.  At first I thought “that’s a little weird” but she made St Anne’s Park have a great time!  She taught us how to make instruments out of rubbish, and we’ve learnt about compost bins where you stick your fruit and vegetables in and the bugs eat it and the food changes into soil.  My little sister had a brilliant time pretending to be a can, being squashed and melted and recycled.  She keeps doing it at home, and now she’s nagging my mum about recycling all the time! 

The ways to recycle are endless and recycling could change the future!  It could save more and more parts of land, instead of filling them with rubbish.  If you’re recycling, you’re caring for our planet! The things you should recycle is newspaper, magazines, cans, glass bottles, jars, foil, clothes, shoes, glasses, car batteries and normal batteries, and last, engine oil.  And don’t forget reusing – most of the things we think are rubbish can still be used.  Like in Helen’s black box song  you should ‘ Think before you bin!’

By Lauren Delazzari,Sadu Sofieddine, Shannon Francis, Stewart Mockridge, Ashley Gibbs,Jonathan Smith
Funding from SITA Environmental Trust supports TRC’s education programme.

Good news for parents who want to save money.  Bristol City Council have, this month, launched a pledge to give £30 to all parents who switch to using washable nappies.

More and more parents are changing to use real nappies.  The main reason is that they can save more than £600 for the first baby alone; and as the family grows, so do the savings.  “Parents can already save a lot of money if they use washable nappies as opposed to disposables,” said Dr Mo McManus, Real Nappy Project Development Officer, “However, the decision to use them may still seem a bit daunting for some.  Bristol City Council’s offer of £30 off the cost for first time users of a nappy laundry service or buying real nappies is a great incentive to help them make the switch.”

“Bristol City Council are deeply serious about this issue, which is why we have committed to making this significant investment. We are very keen to help parents cut down on the amount of rubbish produced through the use of disposable nappies,” said Sean Spencer-Wort, the Recycling Officer from Bristol City Council.  “For parents with babies in nappies, disposables can make up to half of the waste in their wheelie bin.  It costs a great deal of money to send waste to landfill, so by encouraging the use of real washable nappies we are reducing waste as well as cutting the costs to us and the tax payers.”

“Real nappies are easier to use than I thought they’d be,” said Colin Griffin, a parent of two children in nappies.  “There is no need to fold bits of towelling or to use a big pin, because washable nappies come with poppers or Velcro tabs.  Even I can handle that!”

To apply for this incentive scheme, please click on this link. For more information on real nappies in general or details of help available locally, contact Martin Pearse on 0117 930 4355 or email Martin Pearse

For more information about the Real Nappy Project click on this link.
For more information about how to use and buy washable nappies, click here.

Pupils from schools across Bristol are compost creatures, according to The Recycling Consortium!  In a lively new workshop led by TRC Education Officers, children are pretending to be wriggling worms and creepy centipedes in order to imagine what life is like inside a compost bin! 

Four and five year olds have been learning how worms, woodlice and other creepy crawlies are fantastic recyclers, munching their way through the school’s fruit waste to make compost.  These sessions, which link closely with classroom science topics, are part of school-wide projects on the importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling waste.

Helen Peake, TRC Education Officer, said, ”What strikes me about these sessions is how the children change their attitude to creepy crawlies.  At first they think the creatures are horrible and by the end of the sessions they are calling them ‘little friendly recyclers’.  This shows how they are learning to care for their environment and are linking this with the importance of recycling.”

Funding from SITA Environmental Trust supports TRC’s education programme..

South Gloucestershire Council and the Real Nappy Project are working together to offer you £30.00 off the initial cost of using real nappies for your baby. At the moment the scheme is limited by budget so will be available on a first come first serve basis. We hope, however, that more money will become available in the future.

Several criteria will apply:

• You must be a resident of South Gloucestershire.
• Your baby must be less than 12 months old.
• You must buy at least £50.00 worth of real nappies at one time, or sign up to a nappy laundry service for at least 3 months, and £30.00 will be deducted at source.
• The incentive will only apply to the retailers and laundries on the list that will be sent to you when you apply to the scheme.

If you fulfil all these criteria and would like to apply for the incentive, please click on this link.

Find out everything you ever wanted to know about washable
nappies! The Real Nappy Project's new video "An introduction to
modern, washable nappies" contains lots of information on the
reasons for using washbale nappies, descriptions of some of the
types that are available and practical details of washing them at
home or using a nappy laundry service.
Click here to order a copy

For more details please call 0117 930 4355 or email Martin Pearse

New places to buy Green Nappies locally - as set up by the Real Nappy Project.
You can now buy your real nappies in Shirehampton Health Centre - ask the receptionist or a health visitor.
At the Bath Royal United Hospital at the antenatal clinic every Monday afternoon.
Also, buy real nappies from The Green Shop in Midsomer Norton.
Please note these are nappy outlets that The Real Nappy Project has helped to set up, and there are many other real nappy stockists in the region.

Also known as Scrapzilla, the Bristol Rubbish Monster has been developed by the Recycling Consortium (TRC) to persuade Bristolians to reduce, reuse and recycle more. Scrapzilla represents the volume of rubbish that Bristol sends to landfill in one month, a staggering 71,000 cubic metres, which is 14,200 tonnes.

He has been taking centre stage at local events, drawing the crowds and highlighting the issue of waste. TRC's Action on Waste staff explain to the public that in one month he will double his size, and in three months he will weigh as much as the Titanic. To stop him growing bigger, everyone needs to reduce, reuse and recycle more than ever!.

TRC hopes that with additional funding, Scrapzilla could move on from his present 2-Dimensional form, to become a gigantic 3-D showstopper!!