News in Brief

East Sussex council is offering residents half price kitchen composters small enough to fit under their kitchen sinks.

The 18-litre capacity composters are manufactured by Straight plc from 12% recycled plastic, and allow residents to compost green vegetable-based waste and small amounts of cardboard and paper. A grain-like material called Bokashi must be spread on material deposited in the composter to prevent odours and speed up the composting process.

The pack is 25 for residents and comes with a two composting bins and a 600g bag of Bokashi. The composting process takes just two weeks, after which material can be used in the garden. A spokeswoman for East Sussex Council explained: “The more options we provide people with the more inclined people will be to try home composting.”

Bozo and Zizi, Cherwell's recycling clowns

A new campaign in Cherwell will see more than a thousand school children meeting “Bozo and Zizi the recycling clowns” later this month.

As part of the Cleaner Greener Cherwell campaign, the two clowns will visit seven primary schools in Banbury and Bicester between September 25 and September 29 to spread the recycling message. The children will be invited to participated in an interactive and fun show based on a television game-show format.

Cherwell's portfolio holder for the environment, Cllr Kieron Mallon, said: “We know that young people can have a big influence on recycling and keeping the District clean and tidy, both while they're at home and when they're out and about. Bozo and Zizi are a popular part of our campaign and they'll be welcomed in schools this time too.”

Recycling Action Yorkshire and WRAP are running a series of free breakfast seminars to promote the use of recycled paper to businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The seminars kick off on September 27 and being held at three venues in Leeds. Lorna Peacock, RAY procurement project manager, said: “With correct ordering procedures, it is possible to ensure that your paper supply not only meets the quality you require for both internal and customer facing use, but can save you money.”

More information on the seminars is available by calling Charlotte Sutton at Resource Futures on 0113 200 3970.

East Sussex county council is offering 500 grants to schools and community groups with ideas on how to reduce the amount of waste generated in the county.

Complete Wasters staff celebrate with their new vehicle

A community group in Leicestershire has won a 22,700 grant from Defra's Business Reuse Fund to expand its IT reuse project.

Complete Wasters has been running since 1996 from its “Green Place” eco centre in Sileby, near Loughborough. As well as the refurbishment of IT equipment, the group helps businesses get involved in recycling. The grant has funded a new, larger vehicle as well as staff costs to help improve the disposal of electrical equipment by local companies.

Darren Potter, Complete Wasters recycling manager, said: “Defra’s BRF grant will make a big difference. It will enable Complete Wasters to help businesses to deal with what would otherwise be hazardous waste, as well as reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and helping end users meet their IT needs.”

Construction firms and property developers in the South West are being invited to a free seminar in Bristol to find out how to cut site waste and boost materials efficiency

The seminar takes place at the Create Centre on October 3, covering issues including site waste management plans, the reuse of materials on-site and the procurement of re-manufactured and recycled building products.

It is being provided by Bristol city council and Hyder Consulting, and will also include speakers from Envirowise, NISP, Sir Robert McAlpine, Wates, Constructing Excellence, Minchinhampton, BWRP, and Churngold.

More information is available from Natalia Fernandez-Ferro on 0117 372 1691.