Comments on: What a load of rubbish http://genevieve8.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/what-a-load-of-rubbish/ Just another WordPress.com weblog Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:55:19 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: genevieve8 http://genevieve8.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/what-a-load-of-rubbish/#comment-3 genevieve8 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:55:19 +0000 http://genevieve8.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/what-a-load-of-rubbish/#comment-3 My workplace has done pretty well in the recycling department too - we have comingled recycyling, there is a paper recycling box at every desk (but no rubbish bins) and compost collection in the kitchens. People have no excuse but to recycle properly when it's so easy! And this is where communicating well with people to achieve an important behavioral change really makes a difference. At home, I'm loving composting. As a family of 5, we generate loads of fruit and veg scraps and it's great to throw it all into the compost bin. The kids love seeing all the worms wriggling about (worms haven't quite made it into their mouths - yet!) and, although I'm not a great gardener, I love getting dirty to take rich soil out. The whole process is easy enough for a pre-schooler to do it! My workplace has done pretty well in the recycling department too – we have comingled recycyling, there is a paper recycling box at every desk (but no rubbish bins) and compost collection in the kitchens. People have no excuse but to recycle properly when it’s so easy! And this is where communicating well with people to achieve an important behavioral change really makes a difference.

At home, I’m loving composting. As a family of 5, we generate loads of fruit and veg scraps and it’s great to throw it all into the compost bin. The kids love seeing all the worms wriggling about (worms haven’t quite made it into their mouths – yet!) and, although I’m not a great gardener, I love getting dirty to take rich soil out. The whole process is easy enough for a pre-schooler to do it!

]]> By: Sharon Cartwright http://genevieve8.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/what-a-load-of-rubbish/#comment-2 Sharon Cartwright Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:15:05 +0000 http://genevieve8.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/what-a-load-of-rubbish/#comment-2 I work in a high rise office tower and some committed souls in our organisation have negotiated with the property managers to implement a co-mingled recycling service. It took quite a bit of work to pull it off and you'd think 'that's the hard work done' but then there's the education of the people who use the service. What I learned recently is that the recycled items must be scrupulously clean. To quote a blog by my colleague Gabrielle McDonald who was the "key negotiator" of the recycling deal, "if they see a milk carton with milk still in it, a tuna tin with a bit of Nemo still stuck to it etc, then the WHOLE bin will be sent to general waste and end up in landfill. 17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Australia come from festering landfill waste each year, and rubbish disposed of over 50 years ago is still producing GHG today. Being lazy about our recycling not only undermines the efforts of the people who aim to recycle properly, it may inadvertently cause the death of a polar bear. Please be aware that no-one else will sort out your garbage, each and every one of us has to be personally responsible for making sure we recycle correctly to make a real difference." A lot of the unnecessary packaging has been introduced to reduce theft of small items, protect consumers from contamination by potential extortionists as well as marketing and the convenience of portioning etc etc. It seems we're stuck with it for a range of reasons. So, not only cutting back on recyclables, but ensuring any that are necessary end up in the right place. The pressure's really on and the more we talk about it, the more of a habit it will become. I work in a high rise office tower and some committed souls in our organisation have negotiated with the property managers to implement a co-mingled recycling service. It took quite a bit of work to pull it off and you’d think ‘that’s the hard work done’ but then there’s the education of the people who use the service.

What I learned recently is that the recycled items must be scrupulously clean. To quote a blog by my colleague Gabrielle McDonald who was the “key negotiator” of the recycling deal, “if they see a milk carton with milk still in it, a tuna tin with a bit of Nemo still stuck to it etc, then the WHOLE bin will be sent to general waste and end up in landfill.

17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Australia come from festering landfill waste each year, and rubbish disposed of over 50 years ago is still producing GHG today. Being lazy about our recycling not only undermines the efforts of the people who aim to recycle properly, it may inadvertently cause the death of a polar bear. Please be aware that no-one else will sort out your garbage, each and every one of us has to be personally responsible for making sure we recycle correctly to make a real difference.”

A lot of the unnecessary packaging has been introduced to reduce theft of small items, protect consumers from contamination by potential extortionists as well as marketing and the convenience of portioning etc etc. It seems we’re stuck with it for a range of reasons.

So, not only cutting back on recyclables, but ensuring any that are necessary end up in the right place. The pressure’s really on and the more we talk about it, the more of a habit it will become.

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