1,500 greener bottles...

Making up a wall! or a roof!

We're building a prototype greenhouse out of 2litre plastic bottles!

If this proves successful then we're hoping to have schools across North East Lincolnshire building their own.

Updates will follow, but the first stage is collecting the bottles. it's estimated that the project will need about 1,500, so council staff get collecting please!

Any excuse to drink more lemonade...

Zero Waste Week : on its way!

The third annual Zero Waste Week! 6th-12th September 2010

The week commences 6th September and the theme is ‘Cooking for Victory!
It is championed by the green family who produced only ONE binbag of waste in 2009 and are encouraging others in how they can do the same. They blog at : www.myzerowaste.com

In North East Lincolnshire this conveniently sits alongside our launch of the 10:10 campaign. www.1010global.org/uk

The Recycling team will be in the Renaissance shop on Victoria Street, Grimsby ready to show you how to waste less not only in the kitchen, but also around the house and in your car!

We'll be talking all things green, with advice for reducing your carbon impact, and also saving yourself some money.

The shop will be open Monday 6th - Saturday 11th from 10am-4pm

Pop in to see us, enter the fab competitions, and meet some of Grimsby Town's footballers! We'll also be wheeling out the smoothie bike again for some more delicious treats.

Let's Waste Less : because there is no Planet B

Barbecue Bliss

I've just found out that the float in Cleethorpes Carnival won second prize for Best Novelty Float, so well done everyone!

This week I've been enjoying chatting to the residents of Immingham about Love Food Hate Waste. Even if you've been on the site before, why not have another look? They're always updating information, and you might find a section that would help out with whatever's lurking in your fridge this week! www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

I'm particularly enjoying the advice for Summer BBQs. Here's a "taster" (pardon the pun) :

If you are inviting lots of guests to your BBQ and are unsure of how much to cook, why not try our Perfect Portion Calculator?

Any bread rolls that have gone a bit stale can be made into breadcrumbs and frozen in a freezer bag to use later for making stuffings, bread sauce or mix with grated cheese for a gratin topping.

If you have leftover cooked meat, wrap it well and keep it in the fridge – it will be good to use for up to 2 days

Happy Barbecueing... now if we could only plan the weather!

Recycling team out for fun

North East Lincolnshire Council were well represented this weekend- and although I couldn't attend the Cleethorpes carnival - the team were out in force, showing off the different ways we can recycle and reuse in our area. Costumes were made by local charity Artlandish - and what amazing work they did!!!

Good Food on Show

Check out the support for Love Food Hate Waste's campaign from the Good Food Show on this video, and add your voice to the campaign!

Jimmy from Jimmy's farm, James Martin, Oz Clarke and more!

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/static/good_food_show_video

Stamping out waste

Donating your stamps to the charity of your choice can actually raise money for your favourite cause, I've learnt this week! The RSPB's stamp appeal is one of the largest and in 2008 raised over £10,000.

You can send loose stamps; which are sent to a stamp dealer who works with various charities, or stamp albums which are sent to auction houses.

Why not put a collection bin in your local school, church hall or place of work?

Charities which accept them include:
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB),
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB),
Oxfam,
Care and Relief for the young (CRY)

What about you? Do you know of any other charities that can help you recycle your stamps?

RSPB

Send loose stamps direct to RSPB (preferably in 2 kilo quantities or above) to
RSPB Stamps,
PO Box 6198,
Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire
LU7 9XT
Send albums or special collections to:
Save the Albatross Stamp Appeal (Special Stamps and Albums),
RSPB,
The Lodge,
Sandy,
Beds,
SG19 2DL.
Alternatively, hand deliver stamps to any of the RSPB nature reserves.

RNIB

Stamps sent to the RNIB are sorted by volunteers, then sold to dealers or collectors.
The RNIB ask that you cut stamps off the envelopes, leaving 1cm of envelope around each stamp. Then sort them into UK or foreign stamps and send to
RNIB Stamp Recycling
PO Box 185
BENFLEET
SS7 9BH

Oxfam

Your used stamps or old stamp collections can be donated to any Oxfam shop.

Oxfam has around 50 specialist stamp departments, run by experienced and knowledgeable volunteers.

Care and Relief for the young

Care and Relief for the young (CRY) is a Christian charity dedicated to caring for disadvantaged, destitute and suffering children, young people and their families.

CRY welcomes all gifts of used postage stamps which are sorted and sold on eBay to raise funds.

Sort your stamps into UK and foreign, trim around the stamp if necessary and send to
CRY Stamps and Collectables,
27 High Street,
Eastleigh,
Southampton,
SO50 5LF

or take in to your local CRY charity shop.

If you’re a stamp collector you can help CRY buy purchasing stamps from them at their online eBay store.

What a load of rubbish!

North East Lincolnshire Council officers and the Chief Executive Tony Hunter, peddling the waste messages in Recycle Week 2010.

Tony quipped : "I won't run out of juice for this initiative"

When I go out and about around the schools and community groups, I remind people of the three R's : Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This Recycle Week (June 2010) we've been asking people to come up with their top tips to Waste Less.

If we're not making rubbish in the first place , then it doesn't need disposing of!

Our winners suggested:

Re-using plastic mushroom, tomato etc trays to plant seeds.

Re-using plastic bottle tops for tombola and bingo numbering

Shop little and often to avoid over-buying and advertise any unwanted items in local paper

A special thank you goes to the Co-op for kindly donating lots of lovely fruit for us to turn into smoothies by bicycle power throughout the week!!