6 minute read

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Focus on reducing resources used, waste created and subsequent CO2 emissions. reduCe, reuSe, reCYCle, reFuSe, rethInK, redeSIgn, repaIr, repurpoSe, reStore, reneWaBle energY

These powerful ‘R’ words are now becoming common place as many of us have become aware that now is the time to make positive changes to bring about a cleaner environment for people and nature by reducing carbon emissions and slowing and hopefully preventing further man-made climate change. World leaders and large corporations are also waking up to the fact that they must and can change their practices to tackle the climate emergency and often save money in the longer term; since the individuals within these organisations are not immune from the effects of the escalated warming of the planet, no matter their individual wealth, they too don’t want to suffer the catastrophic consequences and so are moving to improve their operations. It is a big ship to slow down and turn around, but positive changes are happening, and bad practice and so called ‘green washing’ (whereby marketing gives an impression of good, green practice when in fact the claims are not quite true or mask bad practice elsewhere,) is being challenged constantly.

We don’t need a few people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions doing it imperfectly to make a BIG difference.

You may well feel sceptical reading this, thinking “What difference will anything I do make? Everywhere I look my good practices being undone ten-fold by others’ bad ones. AND I have not got the time or knowledge to do anything much anyway.” I have complete sympathy with those thoughts, and I am far from a perfect example of sustainable living…yet I am unable to give up trying hard to keep making small changes where I can… and in my attempt to make those changes, I have been delighted to discover that there are a lot of positive actions being taken locally, nationally, and internationally that are making measurable differences for the better, it is just that the good news is often not publicised, so we don’t usually get to hear about it. Most recently my journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle was re-invigorated by helping to found the local Midsomer Norton, Radstock Area Zero Waste Group, after a friend of mine rang me and said, “Lucy we have got to do something!” This led to a group of local people setting up a Facebook group in the first instance which has gone on to more practical actions such as the litter picking local Wombles and supporting lots of other local green initiatives including Westfield Terracycle and Peasedown Environment Group. In setting up the group, I discovered there are hundreds of local people who are taking small, manageable steps towards a greener lifestyle, they have joined the group where we share tips, ideas, and thoughts on sustainability and give encouraging support to one another. It is so inspiring and uplifting, that I now feel part of a huge push to improve our natural world, and therefore our own lives and wellbeing which is completely inseparable from the natural environment.

So, what small steps can we take in our everyday lives here in Radstock? Well, the three main ‘Rs’ are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle; let’s take them one at a time.

Reduce: Try not to buy as much stuff; ask yourself the following questions.

do I really need this item? Can I borrow one like this instead? Can I hire one like this instead? Can I buy a second-hand one instead?

Reuse: Try to do the basics well, then when you can manage, try another step towards reusing items. The basics are:

Always take your own bags shopping. That includes ALL shopping trips not just to the supermarket. We have become used to carrying a face covering, can we become used to remembering a bag not just for the supermarkets? It is perfectly safe to take a reusable coffee cup or water bottle for refilling; studies have found that we are no more likely to pick up Covid from our own refillable cup than a single use cup handed to us Take your own containers to local shops for refilling. We are lucky to have several refill shops locally. Broken something? Before you throw it out and buy new, why not see if it can be repaired? There is a monthly repair café on the 4th Saturday of every month 10am-1pm in Peasedown St John Methodist Church Hall. At the repair cafés you can find out about local borrowing libraries where you can (for a very small hire cost) borrow all kinds of things from camping equipment to tools. ‘Free & Eco MSN’, ‘Small Stuff Baby Bank’ and ‘School Uniform Free Swaps Midsomer Norton and Surrounding Area’ are great Facebook groups to acquire and give away items for free. Love reading? There are many phone boxes in our surrounding area which contain books to take for free.

Reduce transport emissions by shopping locally and where available locally produced or sourced food and products.

Recycle: Once you have reduced and reused as much as you can, then last of all, recycle whatever you can, where recycling facilities exist. Go to www.bathnes.gov.uk to double check what CAN be recycled in your green box. If you have 2 boxes, please put paper and glass clearly separated in one box. In the other box please put plastic, cans and foil mixed together. Foil should be saved until it can be scrunched into a tennis ball size minimum to prevent bits getting lost. If the foil can’t be scrunched and remain scrunched such as crisp packets, then it contains plastic and cannot currently be recycled via your kerbside collections.

Cardboard from large items needs to be taken to the recycling centre but anything cut down which fits into the blue bag will be taken from the kerbside. Brown paper bags, envelopes and brown packing paper needs to go with cardboard. Ideally put small cardboard boxes inside larger ones to prevent it blowing out of the lorries and creating litter. Plastics taken include: bottles (lids on to prevent them getting lost or littered and ideally squashed to save transporting around lots of air) meat, fruit and salad trays and food pots. PLEASE rinse out your items. Many jars, sauce bottles and meat trays are put out filthy dirty or even half full of food. This is a health hazard and time wasting for the collectors who handle waste not properly sorted in the boxes and it is makes the

recycling process more polluting. Don’t forget to put out your cooked and other food waste in compostable (or plastic) bags inside the black lidded food bin.

Batteries must be in a small bag, so they don’t get lost.

Other items taken are: spectacles, engine oil in an oil container, car batteries, oil filters and small electrical appliances no bigger than can fit into a normal sized carrier bag. Westfield Terracycle: 23 Elm Tree Avenue, Westfield. Drop when you are passing (don’t make a special journey as this will cancel out the Co2 savings by recycling) Lastly, remember to donate items to charity shops, sell items second hand or give away on the local free Facebook groups. There are so many more ‘Rs’ on the list to discuss in this article: BUT to find out about all the others, plus lots more tips on living a more sustainable lifestyle, which can often save you money too, view the ‘Midsomer Norton, Radstock Area Zero Waste Group’ Facebook page (you do not have to be a member of Facebook to view the page just type in the page name and you will see it listed to view just as a website would be). The page is very informative and educational.

Also, every Saturday morning on local radio station, Somer Valley FM, from 10 am - 11 am, local resident Nick Labrom broadcasts ‘The One Small Step Show’ with lots of local green projects and initiatives discussed with local experts. The programme is also available online on-demand. Lucy Tudor, founding member of the Midsomer Norton, Radstock Zero Waste Group.

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