Inner city composting campaign kicks off in Islington

The Dorset-based company staged an urban art initiative, commissioning community artists to create graffiti-style murals based on waste-themed designs by children from the London borough of Islington.

Children from the Kids Hayward Adventure Playground joined artists Urban Generation to create recycling-themed graffiti in Islington

The activities began at a specially designated site at the Kids Hayward Adventure Playground on Saturday, marking the start of Compost Awareness Week, which is being celebrated around the UK until May 13 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Cities
New Earth Solutions, which specialises in building advanced technology composting facilities, will now be staging similar campaigns in other major UK cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and Bristol. The company said it was targeting inner city areas with the awareness initiative because recycling is seen as difficult there.

New Earth contracts director Peter Mills explained: “Local authorities have been set challenging targets to increase their recycling but while environmental issues are higher profile in the more affluent areas of the country, it is the inner cities we have to reach if we are to be successful in our drive to be green.”

The art involved – produced by artists Urban Generation – seeks to attract young people in a medium they can relate to, Mr Mills said. “We want to encourage young people to consider where their rubbish goes beyond the bin-liner, and make it easier for them to distinguish between biodegradable items that can be composted, and carbon-rich waste that can be recycled,” he said.

New Earth
Poole-based New Earth Solutions, part of waste management company WH White plc, believes the kind of fully-enclosed composting facilities are suitable for establishing in inner city areas. The systems, which can process mixed black bag waste as well as source-separated organic waste, are designed to keep emissions contained (see letsrecycle.com story).

Along with the initiative at the Islington playground, New Earth donated home composting bins for young people there to use to convert their own food and garden waste into compost.

The company has been involved with the BBC in highlighting compost issues as part of Compost Awareness Week this week, with BBC News 24 visiting the company's headquarters.