In this Issue Burning issues for Devon – Pyrolysis for Exeter page 6 –7 Devon Waste Recycling Education Strategy p 4 DEFRA caps recycling rates at 30% -p 4 Recycling Trade Waste p4 Community news & Groups update: News bites p 3-4

SWCRN, p 8 DCRN/DCCN Conference p 9 West Devon scrapstore ECT buy Okehampton Railway p 3 Local Authority News Devon Composting Partnership p 5 Torbay wins award p 3

Newsletter of Devon’s Community Recycling & Community Composting Networks

Burning issues for Devon.Burning issues for Devon.Burning issues for Devon.Burning issues for Devon. Turn to Page 6

Spring 2005

DCRN/DCCN would like to formally thank its core funders, the DAWRRC (Devon Authorities Waste Reduction & Recycling Committee) for continuing support for 2005-06. The Networks would also like to acknowledge and thank the contribution of the Management Teams, LA Officers, elected Councillors, Community Organisations, Social Enterprises and committed individuals who have worked so positively together for over 10 years to make the Devon partnership unique between the Community Sector and the Local Authorities. DCRN started with the need for there to be representation for the sector and a single point of contact for enquiries, and its continued existence reflects the strength and depth of Community Sector participation in recycling and a strong commitment from Local Authorities to work in partnership. Before recycling banks,

kerbside recycling collections and recycling targets it was individuals and FoE supporters that undertook collections and used their sheds and garages to store recyclable materials. From these beginnings Groups were formed, with many communities acting on the growing environmental awareness and setting up schemes ranging from composting to reuse and recycling. The Community Sector has continued to innovate, add value, work in partnership and involve people in developing local solutions, and long may it continue to do so. More than 10 years on, we are now seeing the establishment of similar local networks around the country, more Government recognition, and an emerging SWCRN, for which a new Regional Development Co-ordinator has just been appointed. This Junk Mail was mostly written by Richard Gomme (DCRN) and prepared for printing by Nicky Scott (DCCN) with illustrations from Bob Gale (Proper Job!).

Please send copy—pictures—drawings or ideas for drawings for Bob to develop to: Richard Gomme, Devon Community Recycling Network, Chapel Cottage,Thorn, Chagford, Devon TQ 13 8DX Web www.dcrn.org.uk T: 01647 433872—E: info@dcrn.org.uk

Or Nicky Scott Devon Community Composting Network, 8 Meldon Road, Chagford, Devon TQ13 8BG T: 01647 432880—E: nscott@devon.gov.uk Web—www.devoncommunitycomposting.org

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EditorialEditorialEditorialEditorial

DCRN/DCCN Annual Conference June 29th

Make a date in your diaries—we haven’t yet fixed a venue, we are looking at Exeter,

Crediton and Honiton so far. We would welcome your input at this planning stage. Do you have ideas for the conference whether that’s venue, catering, content, theme. Our feeling is that we would like to hear more form member projects at the conference and would encourage you to give a snapshot five minute presentation of your project to share with all the delegates. Also to bring a display, (we can help with preparing materials for display). Also see page 10 for CRN conference dates.

Biomass for Winkleigh?

Residents of the Winkleigh area of Mid Devon have been opposing a proposed Biomass Plant, which plans to generate electricity from the burning of energy crops such as miscanthus or willow, and possibly from refuse derived fuel from residual household waste. A local Action Group has put forward alternative proposals for the site, which include community based initiatives on composting, recycling and reuse, and is determined to stop the biomass plant from going ahead.

Torbay wins Green Apple Award Torbay Council is to receive an award for its work in promoting recycling and waste minimisation in schools. Every school was asked to participate in a waste audit which involved pupils in analysing the schools waste to find out what could be recycled. Recycling collections for paper and card and free compost bins have subsequently been provided to schools who opted for them.

Meanwhile West Devon also picked up an award for collecting yellow pages for recycling through schools.

Proper Job adopts West Devon

scrapstore. Following the closure of Okehampton scrapstore, Proper Job at Chagford have opened a West Devon Scrapstore with the help of Steve Newton who ran the Okehampton one for several years. Materials have been transferred, and this complements the general reuse and Community Repaint scheme at Proper Jobs site. Scrapstore membership costs £10 per year, and £1 per bag of materials. Contact 01647 432985 or e-mail: compost@properjob.co.uk

Right on Time!

Ealing Community Transport Ltd, the UK’s largest not for profit provider of kerbside recycling services, has bought the Okehampton railway. Its humble beginnings were providing community transport in Ealing, but the organisation has just won the integrated waste, recycling and cleansing contract for the London Borough of Ealing worth £7m a year!! How’s that for social enterprise. ECT provide kerbside recycling for Somerset.

Refurnish Newton Abbott update.

Devon Furniture Forum’s furniture reuse project has successfully consolidated its Newton Abbott Forde Rd site, and has opened a branch at Totnes, which can now refurbish gas appliances and better serve more of the Sth Hams market. An application has been submitted for a West Devon Furniture Reuse Project for Tavistock which will expand the collection network for virtually the whole of Southern Devon. Contact DFF e:mail: davidbanks@devonfurnitureforum.co.uk

South Molton Recycle.

Following SMR’s successful CRED grant, 100% kerbside recycling collections are being rolled out across Torridge and North Devon. Purpose built collection vehicles have been fitted with an on board compacter for cardboard and a blowing machine which fills containers in the top of the trucks with the lightweight plastic bottles, leaving room for the heavy dry recyclables down

News bites

3

below.

Mid Devon Community Recycling.

Following the successful trial to include tetra pak juice cartons into their kerbside recycling collection rounds, this will now be made a permanent feature. Mid Devon is the only

district so far to incorporate carton recycling, and is looking at starting household battery recycling and moving towards 100% kerbside coverage for recycling collections.

Recycling Trade Waste. The Devon Community Trade Waste Network is an informal group to help develop trade waste recycling opportunities. Community enterprises in Devon offer recycling collections to businesses and organisations for a small charge, including Mid Devon Community Recycling, South Molton Recycle, Paperchain Exeter and LampRecycle Plymouth. RecyclingWorks hosts a Waste Exchange Website to facilitate recycling and reuse of trade waste. Private contractors such as Quay Waste & Devon Contract Waste are also in the market. This means that businesses in Exeter, Teignbridge, Mid Devon, Torridge & North Devon, parts of Sth Hams, East Devon, Torbay & Plymouth can recycle a wide range of trade waste including card, paper, glass bottles, fluorescent lamps, computers, mobile phones etc. The Environment Agency produce a

comprehensive directory of trade recycling in the South West, and provide advice and information to businesses. Global Action Plan also provide some free consultancy advice to small businesses on recycling and waste reduction. Enquiries to: MDCR: 01392 882388 SMR: 01769 576081 Paperchain: 01392 490255

LampRecycle 01752 662050 www.recycling-works.co.uk Environment Agency: 01392 444000

Government goes soft on hard targets. From our special waste correspondent A.N.Orak Statutory LA recycling rates will be capped at 30% according to a Government statement. It also announced that the level of fines for failure to meet biodegradable waste diversion targets under the Landfill

Directive will be reduced from £200 to £150 per tonne. Some Councils that are already recycling high levels and had been set targets of up to 50%, were at risk of being unable to achieve them. Other low achieving Authorities would have been in serious financially difficulties to pay the LATS fines for failing to meet targets. DEFRA also announced the next £260m Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant to support new and more efficient ways for LA’s to deliver waste reduction and increase recycling .

Devon Waste & Recycling Education Strategy –

A new strategy has been launched by the Devon LA’s to help schools recycle and compost more of their waste. With over 560 schools in Devon educating more than 100,000 children at any one time, this is quite a challenge. The strategy aims to increase awareness of waste issues, enable schools to achieve waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting, and promote green procurement practices. This will be achieved through:

� helping put facilities in place for recycling & composting,

� providing best practice

Continued on page 8Continued on page 8Continued on page 8Continued on page 8 4

Last issue Junk Mail reported on the Devon Composting Partnership £5m DEFRA funding award for in-vessel composting sites and collection schemes in Teignbridge, Mid Devon & South Hams. Collection rounds using wheeled bins are being established to collect mixed garden & kitchen waste and cardboard from households. The first composting plant has been built at Heathfield Landfill site, with another planned for Broadpath Mid Devon. Unfortunately the third unit planned for Deepmoor will have to wait for additional funding to progress, as costs have risen within a limited budget. Each IVC (in Vessel composter) will have 20,000 tonnes per annum capacity, and help to meet Devon’s targets for the diversion of bio-degradable waste under the Landfill Directive. Gate fees will cost £45 per tonne approx, the equivalent cost of disposal to Landfill. There are, however, pros and cons to this approach. A comparison between the Devon & Somerset approaches may be useful. Wheeled bin systems are designed to maximise the weight of compostable waste diverted by the householder, and sit well with alternate weekly residual waste and recycling collections. Many homes though are not suitable for wheeled bins, and they are expensive. Overall waste arisings may increase by attracting garden waste that was previously (or could be) home composted. Only

one fortnightly organic waste collection is necessary. The householder is not required to source separate kitchen waste. Combining garden and food waste means all of it must be composted in-vessel, which is much more expensive. Alternatively, in Somerset, ECT Ltd , the largest not for profit kerbside recycling collection provider in the UK, is undertaking kitchen food waste collections with a different system. This entails the householder source separating kitchen waste in a small kitchen caddy, which is then put out for weekly collection with the dry recyclables kerbside collection, and put on the same vehicle in a separate container. Previous trials showed that capture rates for dry recyclables went up by 30% when food waste was added to the round using this method. There is then less material to compost in-vessel at £45 per tonne gate fee. A separate collection of garden waste and card can be done using bags and composted in open air with a gate fee of only £22 - £25 per tonne. It remains to be seen which method will be most cost effective in delivering recycling targets, increasing participation and diverting material from landfill. What will be crucial is the development of end markets for the compost – if it is used as landfill cover or refuse derived fuel then serious questions must be asked about strategies for the collection and

Green waste and kitchen waste collections Green waste and kitchen waste collections Green waste and kitchen waste collections Green waste and kitchen waste collections started in Devon. started in Devon. started in Devon. started in Devon.

5

The Case For: Some Local Authorities, like Devon, are choosing or seriously considering pyrolysis and gasification for various reasons, which include:

a) The system recovers ‘value’ in the form of energy from mixed residual waste which would otherwise go to Devon’s diminishing landfills. The energy generated counts as a ‘renewable energy’ under the Renewable Energy Obligations. (However much of the waste being burnt will include non-renewable resources such as plastics).

b) The system can be small scale and modular, 6,000 tons to 30,000 tonnes per annum upwards generating heat and electricity (350kWe – 7MWe). The system can fit with existing upstream treatments of waste such as source separation for recycling and composting.

c) It can deal with multiple or difficult waste streams such as clinical, tyres and some

hazardous wastes. d) It is a guaranteed way of diverting

(biodegradable)waste from landfill to meet targets of the Landfill Directive and avoid any penalties.

e) Plants can be located close to the source of waste so transport is minimised. The process can reduce the weight of waste for final disposal by between 85-95%. Waste Disposal Authorities can achieve proximity and near self sufficiency in waste disposal.

UK Authorities point to European Countries with high recycling rates that also have high rates of incineration and minimal landfill. Compact Power claim that an inert non-leachable bottom ash is produced that can be used in building materials. Many people however, will remember the scandal of the Newcastle Byker Incinerator toxic ash that was spread on public footpaths. Toxic incinerator ash has been used in breezeblocks used to build houses, as exposed by BBC Newsnight in 2001.

Burning issues for Devon.Burning issues for Devon.Burning issues for Devon.Burning issues for Devon.

It is a controlled and advanced process of thermal

treatment (incineration) where energy can be

recovered from waste.

1. Pyrolysis Pyrolysis Pyrolysis Pyrolysis – waste is heated in the absence of

oxygen to about 800c. Hydrocarbons are

converted to simple gases leaving a residue of

carbon char, inert materials, and heavy metals.

2. Gasification Gasification Gasification Gasification ———— Carbon residues are totally

reacted out with air and steam in a ‘water-gas

reaction’ to produce hydrogen and carbon

monoxide.

3. Oxidation Oxidation Oxidation Oxidation ---- Gases are reacted at high

temperature (1250c) to ensure the destruction

of any organic pollutants and particulates.

4. Energy recovery Energy recovery Energy recovery Energy recovery ———— Exhaust gases pass through

a steam boiler which catches up to 80% of

available energy. Steam is then available for

power generation or combined heat & power

applications (CHP).

Compact Power claims ‘pollutants normally associated with incineration are either destroyed in the process, or not formed’ (from Compact Power brochure).

Devon County Council in partnership with Exeter City Council and Compact Power Ltd have obtained ‘preferred bidder’ status in a £9m bid for a 30,000 tonnes per annum gasification/pyrolysis ‘energy from waste’ plant in Exeter, from DEFRA’s ‘New Technologies Demonstrator Fund’. The new plant would be built at the old incinerator site at Marshbarton. Devon County Council will have to fund £4m within this. Gate fees for MSW delivered to the plant will be an estimated £65

per tonne (Municipal Solid Waste will include Exeter’s household rubbish and some trade waste collected by the Council). Throughput will count towards Devon’s targets to divert bio-degradable waste from Landfill. Electricity will be generated from the waste. However, environmental groups such as Exeter FOE are against the plant for various reasons. Below, Junk Mail will outline the case for and against.

So what is gasification/pyrolysis?So what is gasification/pyrolysis?So what is gasification/pyrolysis?So what is gasification/pyrolysis?

6

The Case Against: Opponents of incineration, gasification & pyrolysis point to other factors important

to consider.

Firstly, priority should be on higher recycling rates and waste reduction. The more waste there is, the

more expensive facilities must be built, in a vicious circle. Reducing waste by 10%, for example, through home composting, reuse and repair, washable nappies, stopping junk mail, refillable containers, returnable deposit bottles, bags for life, rechargeable batteries, producer responsibility, variable charging, enforcement etc, may eliminate the need for big waste disposal plants like this.

Recycling rates should reach approx 50% before disposal technologies are considered. Investment which might be used to achieve universal recycling coverage, enforcement and higher participation with a wider range of materials collected, will have been spent on capital intensive plants which deliver little added value to the local communities in which they are located. Higher recycling rates in source separation recycling collection schemes create more jobs. More value and embodied energy is

recovered by recycling the original resource material than through burning it. More money is circulated in the local economy instead of it vanishing out of the region. Burning mixed waste does nothing to increase recycling rates or encourage people to take more responsibility for their waste. Rather, with recycling rates at 20%, not only is 40% of the feedstock recyclable, but it allows people to carry on as usual with wasteful lifestyles, high

resource consumption and poor participation. Longer term sustainability issues can be better addressed by other approaches. At £65 per tonne gate fee plus investment costs, the pyrolysis plant would appear not to offer an economically advantageous solution at this stage. Many European countries who have incineration capacity have recycling rates exceeding 50%, but the UK approach may displace the need for higher recycling. The Government has not provided LA’s with incentives or funding for waste minimisation, and refuses to allow Councils to introduce variable charging to encourage householders to reduce waste and recycle more. There is a lack of political will for enforcement at both national and local level. Established practice, vested interests, outmoded thinking and the slowness of Government and institutional strategic change are all obstacles. We have zero tolerance for parking, speeding, tax evasion, drink driving, ASBO’s etc, so why not enforcement on waste? Government policy is leading many Councils into 25 year

PFI integrated Waste Management Contracts, capital intensive ‘big plant’ waste disposal solutions, and incineration. Legislation and red tape make local ‘common sense’ solutions increasingly difficult, being geared for big waste operators, and make changing the direction of the supertanker even more difficult. Trade waste continues to fill landfill sites unabated, undermining the case that landfill space is running out, and leaving householders wondering why recycling is not being taken more seriously. Many businesses want to recycle, but the infrastructure is lacking and needs investment. Imagine what could be achieved in Devon with £9m extra spent on higher recycling and waste minimisation!!!

Continued on next page Continued on next page Continued on next page Continued on next page

7

guidelines, information and advice,

� provide a resource bank for teachers,

� provide a programme of educational visits to schools and arrange for schools to visit waste facilities,

� seek funding to resource a team of waste ‘educators’.

If you wish to have a visit to your school contact your Local Authority Recycling Officer. If you live in North Devon and Torridge you may be lucky enough to receive Mrs Recycle with her travelling wormery and other interactive resources, The Recycling Doctor serving Plymouth, or a waste educator from Mid Devon Community Recycling. For more information visit - www.recycledevon.org, www.mrsrecycle.co.uk, www.recyclingdoctor.com

SWCRN – Community sector Support Programme. At CRN’s 2004 conference Elliot Morley announced £4m of DEFRA funding for the

Community Sector to recognise the increasing contribution of the sector. The money will be split between funding 4 Regional Development Co-ordinators, one for South West, East Anglia, North West and Yorkshire, and £3m will be available in grants for projects through a Waste Partnership Fund. Devon groups have steered 4 applications through to the detailed bid stage, funding will run until March 2006. Mark Walton of The Recycling Consortium in Bristol has been appointed to the SW post from a very strong list of applicants, and will work to represent, promote and network the sector, not least to our partners in LA’s, Agencies, the Regional Assembly, and other organisations, with the aim of raising the profile and delivering tangible benefits to the sector. It is likely that a SWCRN will be set up as an organisation following the Feasibility Study undertaken last year by the Recycling Consortium to establish the need and role for SWCRN. DCRN, DCCN and

8

Pyrolysis may preclude other options within the new technology sphere, such as biogas/anaerobic digestion, and MBT (Mechanical Biological Treatment), which are capable of recovering more resources from waste. Biogas is the anaerobic digestion of manure, food and green waste, to produce gas for electricity generation and an end product bio-fertiliser which can be used on farms in place of artificial fertilisers. MBT is a system for mixed residual waste that recovers recyclable materials through mechanical means, and composts the residue through biological treatment. MBT would be compatible with MRF’s (Material Recycling Facilities, Devon

has 3, Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth) which have a high reject rate for sorting dry co-mingled recyclables. Devon is also a national leader in biogas, with Holsworthy Biogas in Torridge using a closed loop system for agricultural and food wastes. Holding tanks on farms store the raw manure ready for collection and receive digested bio-fertiliser for on farm use as required.

Exeter FoE is likely to mount a campaign against the proposed plant. Information on FoE waste

stance can be found on their website

www.foe.org.uk

Continued from page 4Continued from page 4Continued from page 4Continued from page 4

The Burning issue Continued from previous page

The 2004 DCRN/DCCN Annual Conference was held in Crediton on Sept 15th. Over 50 delegates from Community Projects, Local Authorities, The Environment Agency, Councillors and other organisations attended the event. Highlights included Alexander Hodgson drinking the ‘elixir of life’, liquid EM Bokashi, to demonstrate it is a totally safe ‘effective micro-organism’ for fermentat ion composting. Ambulance crews were called to the scene shortly afterwards, whereupon Mr Hodgson was carted off to hospital for a stomach pump and colonic irrigation, writhing in agony and foaming at the mouth.(Joke – ed) Needless to say the day proved great for networking, with a strategic brainstorming session that enveloped delegates into anoraks and a deep trance state whereupon a clear vision of a zero waste future was channelled from a Master of the Waste Hierarchy. A superb lunch provided by local organic producers ‘Little Ash’ organic farm, cooked and presented by Tom Cull forced delegates belts out another notch, re-invigorating them from a morning of scintillating and spell-binding speakers including Gary Hilder from WRAP’s Composting Programme, Tom Hills on fundraising, Steve Portsmouth from South Molton Recycle, Simon Hill from Mid Devon District Council, Alexander Hodgson from Living Soil, David Banks from Devon

Furniture Forum, with Andy Moore of CRN UK as chair. Gary Hilder spoke about WRAPs projects to boost h o m e c o m p o s t i n g nationwide, and research into use/fall off in use of the most common types of home composter. With many LA’s s e l l i n g c h e a p h o m e composters and WRAP basing its efforts on increasing sales of bins, follow up work and trouble-shooting will be vital if

householders are to continue using the bins. Devon has attempted to get funding for ‘Compost Ambassadors’, who will advise and support home composters to successfully compost. Ironically it is WRAP themselves who are preventing Devon from benefiting from their funding as they insist on the use of their marketing slant ‘I’m a rotter’ which features an all in wrestler promoting composting. The Devon campaign is well underway and of course has Keith Floyd. South Molton Recycle have undertaken the challenge of providing 100% kerbside recycling collections to include cardboard and plastic bottles alongside a full range of other recyclable materials for the whole of North Devon & Torridge. This will be achieved with up to £600,000 investment, £300k coming from CRED funding. On vehicle compactors for card have been added into SMR’s purpose built vehicles to cope with the volumes. Simon Hill dangled the tantalising prospect of battery recycling, but perhaps overlooked the scale of Devon’s greenies with drawers full of old batteries waiting for the moment to deluge Mid Devon with spent batteries. Mid Devon have also progressed with Devon Composting Partnership £5m DEFRA funded project for garden & kitchen waste in-vessel composting, and Mid Devon Community Recycling have added tetra-pak juice cartons to their kerbside

DCRN/DCCN 2004 Annual Conference Review DCRN/DCCN 2004 Annual Conference Review DCRN/DCCN 2004 Annual Conference Review DCRN/DCCN 2004 Annual Conference Review

9

recycling collections. David Banks outlined the successful work of DFF’s recent Newton Abbot ‘Re-furnish’ furniture reuse project located in premises rented from Teignbridge District Council. DFF have developed a ‘package’ which prospective groups can adopt to help them set up and achieve the necessary standards for good practice furniture reuse. And finally returning to Alexander Hodgson EM Bokashi presentation. It can be used for the anaerobic fermentation of kitchen scraps for composting, as a bio-fertilser, and for the cleansing of polluted watercourses. EM Bokashi is widely used in Japan and around the world but its potential role has yet to be recognised by the establishment in the UK. East London Community Recycling Partnership use EM Bokashi in the composting of food waste from estates in Hackney, London, greatly reducing, smells, rats and flies and other rubbish problems associated with urban estates.

Linnacombe Trusts Network

Organisation Assessment & Recommendation Service

We give your organisation the OARS to help

you paddle your way to financial stability The OAR Service is an intensive one-day analysis of your organisation's aspirations and its funding opportunities. This is undertaken by a fundraiser with considerable experience in the voluntary sector. The Linnacombe Trusts Network looks at a wide range of small to medium sized voluntary groups and sees the same funding issues appearing again and again. Rather than wait for your financial management to become a critical issue, we can help you paddle a course to financial stability. Every project and activity you undertake should meet your financial needs as well as your organisation's objectives. The OAR Service is an objective assessment of where you are and where you are heading and offers recommendations on how best to get there.

The cost of the OAR Service is £250 for a one-day assessment and follow-up strategy document. Funding for this service for community waste projects and businesses before the end of June may be available from the WasteTrain Project run by Anbios, contact Stuart Brooking 01392 436 229. Another source may be the Community Council of Devon - contact Andrea Leplae on 01392383345 any fundraising courses run - the may be able to pay for the course. Contact: Tom Hills 01837 861664 Linnacombe Trusts Network Tom@Linnacombe.co.uk

10

'RECIPES FOR RECYCLING''RECIPES FOR RECYCLING''RECIPES FOR RECYCLING''RECIPES FOR RECYCLING' The 16th Annual Community Recycling Network UK Conference and Exhibition

Coventry, Wednesday 18 and 19 May 2005 In 2005 CRN UK presents an innovative line up of great speakers and a unique opportunity to attend a wide variety of surgeries, providing you with a vast range of practical advice and

networking sessions. For further information please contact Carrie on 0117 9420142 or events@crn.org.uk

Plymouth College of F.E - Computer Recycling Project can reuse your computer. The project has trained over 100+ New Deal clients (previously unemployed) in IT and Customer service skills returning 60% back into full time employment or onto Further Education.If you are interested in recycling your working redundant computer equipment for a good cause or are interested in purchasing/requesting a PC through the Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher (MAR) scheme or via our normal low cost service please contact us at:

Plymouth College of FE Computer Recycling Project Devonport Kings Road Plymouth PL1 5QG

Telephone: 01752 301531/0 Fax: 01752 305752

WEB: http://www.pcfe-crp.co.uk/contact.html

STOP PRESS

Project Closing due to lack of funding

Other Computer Recycling projects

LampRecycle & RecycleWorld 01752 662050

refurbishes computers for low cost resale and provides a fluorescent lamp recycling collection service. www.lamprecycle.co.uk

Computers for Charity 01288 361177

refurbishes computers for low cost resale to community orgs. and for export to developing countries. Nationwide service.

AI Positive Recycling Project Exeter. Neil Wintrip would like to hear from anyone interested in helping form a new project in Exeter for the recycling and reuse of printer cartridges and computer equipment. Neil’s vision is to eventually provide training courses and computer game facilities to develop peoples skills around using, repairing and building computers, with a particular focus on young offenders and to address social exclusion. Neil can be contacted on: A1 Positive Recycling 0870 9907387 e-mail: wintrip@ic24.net

11

Computer RecyclingComputer RecyclingComputer RecyclingComputer Recycling

Cradle to CradleCradle to CradleCradle to CradleCradle to Cradle

By William McDonough & Michael Braungart

published by Northpoint Press

The first thing you notice about this book is its weight.

Although it is the size of a standard paperback it weighs

three times as much. The second thing I noticed was the

statement on the back. ‘”Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” urge

environmentalists; in other words do more with less in

order to minimise damage. But such an approach only

perpetuates the one way ‘cradle to grave’

manufacturing model. Why not challenge the belief that

human industry must damage the natural world?’

As I myself am the author of a book entitled ‘Reduce,

Reuse, Recycle’ this really whetted my appetite to know

more, in fact thanks to Virgin trains, I was able to read

the whole book in one long journey from North Wales to

Devon.

The book is really about ‘zero waste’ – nature doesn’t

produce waste and unless we can either compost

everything we currently dispose or genuinely recycle,

which doesn’t mean ‘downcycle’ i.e. lose quality each

time (as happens with paper as the fibres get shorter)

then we shouldn’t be producing the goods and materials

which cannot be treated in these ways.

“All the ants on the planet, taken together, have a

biomass greater than that of humans. Yet their

productiveness nourishes plants, animals and soil.

Human industry has been in full swing for little over a

century yet it has brought a decline in almost every

ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn’t have a design

problem. People do.”

This book, and zero waste are both fundamentally

about design. The Recycling officers who say that zero

waste is impossible have to learn to think outside the

box. As Einstein said, and is quoted in the fly leaf of this

book, “The world will not evolve past its current state of

crisis by using the same thinking that created the

situation.”

The authors, William (Bill) is an architect and Michael a

chemist work in partnership (see www.mbdc.com) and

have had commissions from many big businesses –

Ford motor Company, Nike, BASF, Volvo. They see

working with big companies as a way of really starting to

make a difference. After all if you can show businesses

how to make positive choices by using materials which

are not toxic to the environment of the workforce and

still make profit then everyone benefits.

For instance they were asked by a major textile mill to

come up with a range of fabrics which were both

aesthetically pleasing and environmentally benign.

Their starting premise was to design a fabric that would

be safe enough to eat, which would not harm people

who breathed it in, and which would not harm natural

systems after its disposal. Sixty chemical companies

declined to join the project, finally one did and eight

thousand chemicals, commonly used by the textile

industry were deemed unsuitable. Only ingredients

which had positive qualities were chosen and thirty eight

were chosen out of which it was possible to design the

whole fabric line. The effluent from this factory was later

found to be cleaner than the local mains water and the

inspectors thought their testing equipment was broken!

The knock on benefits from this approach are

enormous, imagine everything you buy not having a

harmful effect on the environment – in the factory

where it is produced, having an effect on it workforce

and the environment outside. Secondly not having

materials and goods in the home emitting poisonous

gases and breaking down into minute particles for us to

breathe in and instead everything being made of safe,

positively chosen materials all either fully upcyclable, or

recyclable or compostable. This book shows us that it

is possible!

Printed by Moorprint 01647 221229

Thanks to Michael Leunig for th

is— fro

m his book

‘You and Me’ published by P

enguin 1995—see—

www.curlyfla

t.net