Recycling in Knowle
Have your say on the recycling facilities available in Knowle and planned for the Autumn of 2008 (doorstep glass collection). Do you use them? Can you understand what is wanted in the containers? Are there enough facilities? Are there any improvements that you can suggest? Are you confused by different types of plastic or don’t you care to find out? Do you have a more radical view?
June 17th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Is a glass house collection really necessary? I found room for the wheelie bin and no longer have to visit the tip (great for the environment and me) but don’t have a paper box as I didn’t have room for it. Every scrap of paper is put into a plastic carrier hanging in the garage and it is then taken to the paper bin in Knowle when I go to church. Plastic, glass and cans are also put into a box in the garage and also go to the bins in Knowle. My containers are a lot smaller than the council’s green boxes. I am sure many others do their bit and don’t need official boxes or have room for them. An unnecessary expense?
July 15th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Regarding the Society’s comments about not collecting all types of plastics:
There is no point in collecting something if there is no market for it. Firms will only buy second hand materials if they can be purchased, cleaned and ground into a usable form for the same or less price than buying new materials. Firms also want a guaranteed quality of material and know that it will be available when needed. If all types of plastics are put together in one bin it would mean they have to be sorted in some way, at additional cost. I have worked for two firms that generate plastics waste and although many people will come and TALK about taking it for recycling we have still not found anyone who actually WILL take it. Until a suitable infrastructure is in place and costs are manipulated by taxation, incentive schemes, etc. the recycling of all plastics will be fraught with difficulties.