recycle more

TetraPak cartons that are widely used for milk, juice, and other liquid packaging are typically difficult to recycle because they are made of cardboard with an internal aluminium lining. However, the company now has an initiative to help councils recycle those cartons and they created a whole website about it. What’s even better, it looks like I’ve got a collection point within cycling distance.

The BBC have an interesting article about where our recycling goes. It doesn’t look to bad and it gives an explanation as to why very few councils include plastics in kerb side collection: too bulky compared to the weight. And indeed, Hounslow Council’s website confirms that. So I’ll just have to cycle to the nearest collection point. Luckily it’s not very far away.

Damned be Hounslow Council! Today was green box collection day so I put my green box out, full of paper, cardboard, bottles, cans and other sorts of recyclable stuff for them to collect. Because I had done a lot of re-arranging at home over the weekend, I had too much stuff for the box so I put 3 bags of paper next to it. And guess what? They didn’t collect the bags. And my green box has now gone missing! So I went onto their website, filled in a complaint form and ordered another green box. This time, I’ll write my house number in large friendly letters on it, in case it was pinched by one of my neighbours.

I went shopping for groceries at As Nature Intended yesterday and picked up a copy of the Chiswick Recycling Directory. I went through it today and realised there are many more ways to recycle stuff in Chiswick than through my green collection box. In particular, there is a recycling facility in South Acton that can recycle plastic bottles. This goes hand in hand with this other goal, for plastic stuff that I can’t avoid. The directory also lists local shops that sell recycled goods so I’ll try to shop there more often.