Tower Hamlets has seen participation rates of up to 70% in the first few months of its doorstep collection service for flats.
The London borough has 83% of households – 70,000 homes – in properties which make kerbside collections impractical. Earlier this year, Tower Hamlets Community Recycling Consortium won a five-year contract to provide the door-to-door recycling service for the low to medium rise flats.
The community recycling group is currently collecting from 10,000 households in Bethnal Green every week, picking up about 50 tonnes of paper, cardboard, textiles, cans and glass in October.
Kevin Maple, a waste management officer for Tower Hamlets council, said: “It has been very productive. We have a very good partnership working, strong communication and we are getting good results, good participation and we are establishing links with the community.”
Compost contributes to robust rootballs
Compost has an unexpected beneficial effect on plant rootballs, according to a series of ongoing studies funded by WRAP.
The discovery has been repeated in several trials being run by Peatering Out Ltd into the performance of compost as a horticultural growing medium.
WRAP said: “Growing media based on a blend of composted green waste with bark fines or composted forestry residues has not only produced healthy plants but also outstandingly robust rootballs.”
Peatering Out director Arnie Rainbow said: “The moist rootballs show little difference but we believe that as they are dried back, humic substances from the green compost and bark provide the strong binding effect. Fortunately, although the dry rootballs are amazingly tough, they rewet easily and establish readily after planting.”
The results have been seen across the range of plants used in the trials, including vegetable and ornamental transplants raised in cell trays and a wide range of ornamentals.
The growing trials will end January 2004 and a report will be published in spring 2004 giving the results. WRAP said: “These are expected to demonstrate that composted materials can deliver a number of benefits, including improved nutrient availability and uptake and better drainage.”
Shropshire Christmas Campaign
Shropshire residents will be asked to “give generously” to their recycling boxes this Christmas in a multi-media campaign starting in December.
A spokesman said: “All the Authorities in Shropshire have been working in partnership to promote recycling this Christmas and New Year… The aim is to spread the recycling message to all residents in Shropshire, particularly as many households now have access to a kerbside recycling scheme.”
A TV advert with the theme ‘Give generously to your local recycling scheme’ has been produced by a consortium of 16 local Authorities and will run in the Central TV region over Christmas. In Shropshire itself there will be a local radio campaign on Beacon Radio and bus and newspaper advertising.
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