Meet the bin slimmers

Each week, I will be introducing some of the volunteers who have signed up for the Rubbish Diet challenge, so that we can find out more about their rubbish, the issues that arise and their plans for slimming those bins.

For Week 1, Id like to introduce you to two people from Suffolk, Ness and Terry-anna.

Meet Terry-anna

Terry-anna lives with her partner in Ipswich, which falls under the district of Ipswich Borough.

When she first volunteered for the challenge she mentioned that she threw out between 2 -3 bags of rubbish every fortnight. However, already at the start of the challenge this week, shed already slimmed this down to one and a half bags for her first weigh-in. 

This is great. Taking advantage of less waste, Terry-anna has already ordered a new slimmer bin from her council, a 180L, which will take up less room than the average 240L thats issued to most homes.

Some of the key things that her household will be tackling throughout the Rubbish Diet Challenge include some food waste (but not much), aerosol cans and those annoying little things such as tissues.  However, she doesnt want to stop there. When she was offered the opportunity to have a larger recycling bin, she politely declined.  Instead, she hopes to slim down her recycling bin too.

Huge thanks to Terry-anna for joining in and helping to support the launch of the challenge on BBC Radio Suffolk this week.  You can listen in on the link to Mark Murphys show, with my introduction at 1hr 6min and Terry-annas interview at 1hr 25m, where she confesses that she really hopes to get down to zero during Week 8.

*Terry-annas new bin is part of Ipswich Borough Councils 6040 plan where they are aiming for 60% recycling and offer residents the choice of smaller rubbish bins and larger recycling bins. 

For Ipswichs recycling guidelines, click here.



Meet Ness

Ness lives with her husband and three children (aged 6, 8 & 10) plus a dog and two cats, in the rural district of Mid Suffolk.

Currently she has two wheelie bins for rubbish, which are generally full to capacity each fortnight.  However, for her first weigh-in this week, she was already pleased to see that her rubbish was down by one bag since shes been preparing to take on the challenge.

The key challenges for Ness will be organic waste and making sure that her family follows the recycling guidelines.  Its a busy household, which means things that can be recycled often get thrown into the rubbish bin.  Just like Ipswich, Mid Suffolk residents benefit from mixed plastics recycling so most packaging can be put in the recycling bin for kerbside collection. 

However, Mid Suffolk doesnt collect compostables, except for garden waste, and even so, this service is only provided on subscription for residents who need it.  Knowing that organic waste such as peelings and odd pieces of mouldy fruit end up in her rubbish bin, Ness has committed herself to getting to grips with home-composting and has already got a bin on order.

Shes also focusing on how she can organise other materials to drop at the Household Waste Recycling Centre, which admittedly is not always a convenient exercise, but will allow her to recycle textiles, Tetrapaks,  plastic film and hard plastic.  Im hoping that by the end of this challenge, Ness will have cut her rubbish down by at least half and the council will be able to wheel that second bin away.

*For Mid Suffolks recycling guidelines, click here.


Ill be reporting back on how both households have managed later on in the challenge.  In the meantime, for further information about recycling facilities in Suffolk, visit the countys new website.

Read More..

My 5 year phone challenge eeek!

Im not sure whether this latest confession will demonstrate my inner lunacy or permanent state of wishful thinking, but eh oh, Ill show and tell and see what comes.  Id be interested in the debate.

The thing is, Ive just got a brand new spanking smartphone, an all singing and dancing top model iPhone.  Its been on my geeky-gadget list for the last 18 months and as my old phone began to fall apart / regularly freeze / randomly self-boot .... along with many other tedious failures, the seduction of the iPhone became more and more tempting, so much so that it looked as though finally it would make it to my Christmas list for 2011.

And hooray, it actually did arrive, but not quite as Id expected (therell be more on that later).  However, with such a frivolous addition to my gadgetry, it arrived with a new personal goal that will definitely challenge the way I think about about new technology, especially mobile technology.

You see, I am a bit of a gadget girl and since the introduction of smartphones that dont just keep you connected to the whole social-media universe out there, but come packed with video functionality and access to multimedia entertainment, I have found it harder to step back to the days when a phone was simply a phone.  I have wanted to keep pace with all the shininess that such a mini-computer in ones pocket can bring. 

My new iPhone will be the third smartphone Ive owned in five years - although admittedly the first one only gave up the ghost as a result of it being in my jeans pocket, when I saved my youngest son from a potential drowning incident a few years ago.

The second phone, its replacement, has been causing me nothing but bother for the last 15 months, mainly though collateral damage, but has also developed a very clunky feel about it compared to other touch screen technology.  Consequently, my shiny new acquisition already offers much hope of a more streamlined and much more enjoyable experience in keeping me connected to the outside world of work, rest and play.

But the challenge Ive set myself is to try and keep hold of this phone and keep it functioning for FIVE WHOLE YEARS!

I know Ive not set myself a very good track record so far.

But aside from my accident-prone ways and technological desire, I hope this self-imposed challenge will not only encourage me to focus on the longevity of possessions, but will also bring into focus the challenges we, as consumers, have in a constantly fast-moving technological world.  And this challenge is not new. For decades, built-in obsolence has been a key consumer issue as have opportunities for exciting applications only being realised as a result of hardware innovations becoming available.

And lets face it, I am grateful for such advances in technological science.  After all, watching movies on our smartphones would not be so gratifying if we had to plug in a portable DVD player to do so.

Of course, opinions vary.  There are many friends who have told me that Ive got no chance, mainly thanks to Apples proprietary systems as well as the companys speed of innovation and all round creator of consumer desire.

But then, there are others who say that this iPhone, with all its latest technology and mod cons should see me through the five year period quite easily. 

So I guess the proof will definitely be in the pudding -or rather the apple pie -  and Ill just have to wait and see.  But I am going to try damn hard, against a world of high-speed technological change, to remain satisfied and keep hold of this phone for five years.  And I will be delighted if I can do it.

But for those who know better than me, or indeed know me better than myself,  Id love to hear what you think.

_______________________________________________________

Disclaimer.  In the spirit of blogger openness, I feel it right to declare that my lovely new phone was a surprise thank you gift that came out of the blue from the folks at O2, as a token of appreciation for the free-time I dedicated a few months ago to brainstorming a whole host of campaign ideas for a phone recycling project thats coming up soon.  There will be more on that next week, when along with other bloggers who have now signed up for the campaign, I will be relinquishing my old phone for recycling and tracking to see where it goes.  And would you believe, for many reasons, I have never recycled a phone before.  So watch out for all that comes with that next week!

Read More..

Happy New Year to you and to me!

Okay, so the going on strict during the holidays was a courageous effort, but short lived.  Instead, the program went on hold as the realization that with family coming and hosting over 40 people (over the course of 4 evenings straight) was going to require a few glasses of wine...for my sanity alone.

So, I rejoined the clinic this Tuesday.

With a weigh-in of 180, Im happy to report that Im at 171.6 today.  Not bad!  Obviously there was lots of sodium and water weight, and Im burning a 2++ on the old pee-sticks.

I thought I would have more of a problem this week, but honestly, Im not craving anything.  Ive reverted back to my solid diet (see one of the many postings above which breaks down my daily intake and food combination) and Im cooking with gas now!

I must admit, a key motivation for me is that I am a bridesmaid in my BFFs wedding in August.  I just refuse to feel like a blob in chiffon next to her svelte body.  Plus, the groomsman that Im paired with is a manager at Moores Menswear, slim, tall and french (from Paris!!)  You kiddin me?  Im aiming to be a real arm charm for that Pierre Cardin!

Yeah...no.

Its funny.  The mother-of-the-bride is also an ex-Bernstein client (she lost 40 lbs and after a year, is also doing the 20lb yo-yo weight war) so weve both gone back to reclaim our bodies.  Shes in good shape to begin with.  Me on the other hand want to vanquish the backfat and thunder thighs forever.   We try on the potential dress next Saturday.  Ill put a deposit down on the dress, but Im not going to order the sze until Im down to my rose-petal strewn red-carpet weight!

So my strategy for this 40lb loss?

Its simply abundantly clear that carbs love me - too much.  The evening snacking, sugar and bread throws me into a lipogenesis faster than the big bang!

I cant eat it or I literally gain a pound overnight.

So apart from knowing (yes, I do know this intellectually, but have failed to action it effectively) this, Im going to make a concerted effort next week (while Im traveling) to pack what I need for food and stay away from the restaurant.  In addition, alongside my trusty Vanilla Proti shakes and homemade meals, will be my brand new Running Room runners, shorts and a shirt so I can exercise.

This has truly been the missing piece to the puzzle for a good decade for me.  Of course, the kids and career consume every waking moment (and volunteering and carving out some precious time for hubby claims the rest of my time) but I have to get active.  I cant keep blaming the food, when its the output that matters too.

You gotta burn what you eat.

But when youre on Bernstein - consuming only 700-800 calories per day, youre bodys taking what it needs from your fat stores.  Good riddance lipoluggage!

Im just going to help that along a little bit with some extra walking or treadmill jogging.

Heaven forbid I swim in public.

No - not yet.  Maybe on the next trip...

Read More..

Ideal Home Show engages bloggers in its 103rd year

Its been at least a whole decade since I visited the Ideal Home Show.  The last and only time I came was when I was working in London in the 1990s.  Gosh that actually makes it seem much longer...especially as I now realise that it was in fact some time last century.

But theres nothing quite like being offered a press pass to get me racing to a top London lifestyle show that itself is now over a century old, and all because I wanted to have a proper nosey around the eco refit of a replica of No.1 Coronation Street.

Yes, I admit to being a Corrie fan even from the olden days of Albert Tatlock and it was very interesting being behind the scenes while William Roache, aka Ken Barlow, was being interviewed for Daybreak.  However it was the comparison between the old and the new that really grabbed me, focusing on products and solutions that are available to householders who are considering making their homes more energy efficient and eco-friendly.  And of course, it was a real bonus being able to take snaps before the busy crowds appeared....and trust me, this is the Ideal Home Show so it IS very busy!

(William Roache meeting designer George Clarke, just after the Daybreak broadcast)

The celebrity architect George Clarke, aka Restoration Man, responsible for the eco refit of the fictional terraced home took us on a preview tour of the Coronation Street house, highlighting that the challenge for the UK is that there are around 25 million? older homes which are far from energy efficient, whether through lack of insulation, sub-standard boilers and heating systems or choice of appliances. Naturally that represents not just an issue with rising fuel prices, but also a major market opportunity for suppliers targeting the eco market.

(Restoration Man, George Clarke highlighting the inadequacies of Ken Barlows heating system)

As we walked through the replica terrace, it did feel like nothing much had changed from the days when such a house would have been built, except for the odd pieces of retro technology such as the ancient old boiler (and I dont mean Deirdre Barlow) and the infamous set of flying ducks.

But moving into the refit next-door, you could see what opportunities are available, with a bit of imaginative wall-removing and addition of clever eco-features.

Out go the cramped rooms and in come the open plan designs that offer a more spacious feel for modern living.  Not only did it feel more roomy, but it was more heat efficient too with home insulation, double-glazing and under-floor heating.  George highlighted that it is what you cant see that really makes the difference and could not emphasise the importance of insulation enough.  His top tip before you do anything else, was that great insulation should be the priority.

Of course my interests as ever are in the recycling elements of modern design, and as the group of journalists and bloggers continued upstairs, I couldnt help get just a tad distracted by the kitchen worktop, which was made out of recycled glass bottles from London bars and restaurants as well as old underground Tube train windows.

(Recycled glass worktops from http://www.glasseco.co.uk/)

I also noted that just because its a modest sized house, plenty of room can still be made available for simple clutter-free storage (now wouldnt that sort out a space for your recycling).

By the time I reached the first floor, the eco architect was extolling the virtues of the tiles in the ensuite bathroom, enthusiastically describing how they "magically" convert Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen.  I know, I had to read that twice too.  Although I cant quite get my head around the technology I can confirm they are made from 95% recycled materials.

 (Floor and wall tiles, available from www.ecofriendlytiles.co.uk )

Now that the preview tour is over and Im sat in the specially equpped Bloggers lounge, perched on a stool just behind the the Corrie replica house, I can see the queues of visitors waitng patiently to take a peek at the houses for themselves.  All I can say is that if youre visiting the show and are considering an eco refit of your own? - or are indeed a fan of the long-running soap - it is worth having a look around.  The tour of the house offers a great opportunity for reminiscing AND forward thinking...and if you are a Corrie fan, you may even get to hang out in "Ken & Deirdres bedroom" and admire the creases in Ken Barlows trousers.

___________________________________________________

Read More..

Making the most of 2012 Happy New Year!

Well Happy New Year all!   I hope you enjoyed your New Years Eve celebrations and are poised to take your empties down to the bottle bank at a decent hour.

Personally, Ive been looking forward to the start of 2012.  Not that 2011 was a crap year.  In fact it was rather good to me, aside from the upsets of losing our beloved cat and having to rehome our chickens. 

Last year was most definitely one of opportunity, whether that meant understanding even more about the opportunities and challenges for Zero Waste, to interviewing Kevin McCloud about upcycling at his Grand Designs exhibition, or making an appearance on Dispatches and Womans Hour, which both left ripples of amusement as a backdrop to the very serious subject of waste.

But there were three significant events that could solidify what 2011 was about for me.

The first was the Save the Children conference, which not only gave greater understanding of their amazing work and constant quest for support and funds, but asked us, the attendees, what we were born to do.  It was then, after many previous thoughts of ditching the blog and my incessant natterings about rubbish, did I make a personal commitment to carry on the challenge to encourage folk to reconsider their rubbish and think about the world outside their bins.  There is a great imbalance between the parts of global society that can afford to waste and those which, for reasons of poverty or natural disaster, cant, and this creates a reminder of why as an international community we need to make the most of our resources and use them more wisely, both now and in the future.

The second event was my 1000 bins campaign, a 12 week challenge to raise awareness of the often overlooked on-street recycling bin. The aim was to promote Recycling on the Go through the summer of 2011 and draw attention to two significant waste related events, making a connection between Recycle Week, which took place in June and Zero Waste Week, which provided the finale in September.  Led by the bespectacled, curly-haired Welsh bundle of gorgeousness, Shedwyn, who was outed as my newly acquired alter-ego, the campaign taught me a number of things:  People will actually do things if you ask them to (demonstrated by self-embarrassment when taking photos of bins in public) and that the serious world of recycling and waste could do with a bloody huge injection of comedy that tickles people into rethinking waste.

The third event was the energyshare project, where I was sponsored to help raise the profile of the Hexham River Hydro project in its bid to win the funding. This brought me into a community of people who demonstrated not only the appreciation of protecting its foundations but illustrated the power of innovative thinking in moving forward, how making use of a renewable energy source could harness future opportunities for energy creation, generating much-needed income and knowledge sharing to inspire others.  2011 ended with Hexham River Hydro successfully winning their category, which was fabulous news.  However for me, the icing on the cake was how not only did I make some new friends, but it unexpectedly brought me back into contact with an old work friend too. A wonderful surprise, which illustrated not only what a small world this is, but how connected we all are, even if we dont actually realise it.

So, onto 2012 and looking to the future.

Drawing on lessons of 2011, Ive decided my theme this year is going to be Making the most of what Ive got!

Some could say its enforced.  I confess to spending far too much money on clothes and shoes in 2011 and Ive been forewarned by my husband that I need to tighten my proverbial belt.  However that picture provides an image of doom and gloom.  Friends who know me well, know that Im stubborn in nature and never like being told what to do.

However, I refuse to consider 2012 to be a year of austerity, even if its defined as such.  Instead, Im going to make it into a year of opportunity, and heres a taster.

In 2012 I endeavour to:

• Make more use of my culinary talents, instead of eating out so often (yes, they are still buried deep inside, if I dare to look). Who knows, I may even throw a party, so watch this space for invitations!
• Make far better use of my clothes, by repairing them myself, or taking them to one of the many alteration shops that are starting to pop up in town.  The latter is already sounding a more realistic option.
• Make better use of my space: do I really need half the stuff thats cluttering up my home? No! Especially as it clutters up my head too.  So this is the year I am going to be brutal and set things free. Oh such bravado!
• Make things last longer, whether its a glass of wine, an item of clothing or a gadget.
• Make do with what Ive got and borrow what I need.

And finally, yes finally, Im going to make the most of what Ive learned over the last few years and work harder to share that knowledge in 2012.  I know Ive got to overcome my natural shyness first - dont laugh, I really am that shy!

Ive realised, its no good keeping my enthusiasm and jolliness about reducing waste to myself.  Other people should be entitled to a good giggle too, so thats what Im going to do this year, get more folk laughing about their rubbish and in doing so, hopefully encourage ambitions to reduce it.

So watch this space. 

In fact, you wont need to wait long.  In a few weeks time, Ill be rolling out the 2012 Rubbish Diet Challenge and revealing a handful of bloggers, Tweeters and Facebook friends who have decided to have a go and I cant wait to see them poking about their bins!  I hope youll join in too, or encourage your friends to have a peek.

In the meantime, Ill be back over the next few days, chatting about how Im making the most of my gas consumption as well as my new mobile phone - but not at the same time of course.  Tut tut, that would be far too dangerous a combination.

So heres to a brand new year ahead of us and ensuring we make the most of it.

I do so hope youll join me.

Happy New Year to you.  I hope you have a fabulous 2012!

__________________________________________________

P.S.  That hat, yes THAT HAT, is not mine, but a frivolous item that can be found amongst the treasures of the Theatre Royal wardrobe department in Bury St Edmunds.  Hat hire is available for a small donation only, whereas you can hire a whole costume for just £12.  I definitely think Ill be making the most of that this year.  As Miranda Hart would say.  "Such Fun!"

Read More..

Where will it end up Tracking my mobile with O2 Recycle

Look! Thats my scared face, which says, "I dont really want to let go of this phone, but now Im here and I promised Id do it, I suppose Im going to have to let you take it."

Have you ever recycled a mobile phone? 

I hadnt until today, despite having owned six of the things ever since I got my very first phone in 1998.  Look, it was such a momentous occasion back then, we even captured it on camera!  It was so big, I almost needed two hands to hold it up my ear!

Christmas morning, 1998. Id never wear that dressing gown with FaceTime!

Its sad to think that phone is still packed away somewhere in my loft.  When recovered, it will be like an historic artefact from the days when phones were phones, not the mini computer devices that they are now.  Even though I have no use for it, it will probably be very hard to give up.  You see, I really do get attached to my phones for all sorts of odd reasons, whether they remind me of a time when I had a cool job, or contained the recording of my toddler telling me he loved me, or even symbolise the day I jumped into a swimming pool to rescue my drowning four-year old, with my phone in my back pocket.

There is one phone that Ive not particularly been attached to though and thats my Nokia N97.  It might have been great at getting me onto Twitter and Facebook and juggling my multi-media usage, but I havent half given it a good battering these last few years. Its time was definitely up twelve months ago, not least because the back-end would fall off at impromptu moments, Its also developed several other features that are noteworthy of its early demise, including the semi-detatchment of its silver fascia as a result of recent contact with the floor.  Then theres the way it would suddenly reboot while I was surfing the mobile net.

However, if it hadnt been for a discussion with some friendly folk from O2, this phone would be sitting in the drawer thats now dedicated to out-of-date gadgets and electronic leads, while I enjoy my more up-to-date technology.

Id explained to O2 that given my bizarre attachment to old devices, I would only ever recycle one of my phones if I could be convinced that it was worthwhile.  After all, Id much rather keep it in a drawer than go to the trouble of stripping off the data, just for it to be taken apart.

They then reassured me that just because my phone looked like it was due for the scrapyard, that wasnt necessarily the case and that it would most likely be refurbished and sold on as a reconditioned device, probably in an overseas market.

Suddenly I was interested in finding out more.

I wanted to know exactly where my phone would end up.

And I wanted to know the story of who would be using it.

I asked O2 whether we could do that, and after some phone calls around head office and to their recycling company Redeem, they said yes.  We could certainly track my old Nokia to its end market and depending on the privacy wishes and language capabilities of the new owner, it may be possible to discover the other information too.

And that got me very excited.

So, with all my photos copied, contacts deleted and messages stripped, I skipped off to our local O2 store this morning to do the deed.  Well, I say I skipped.  Actually, for some reason, I was very nervous.  I wanted reassurance that no sensitive data, or remote access to my emails or online accounts could be retrieved from my old phone, once I handed it over. 

Glendon, the Store Leader, reassured me.  In fact, one of the first steps was to restore the phone to its factory settings and ensure that everything had been deleted off.

The rest of the process was very straight forward, confirming that I should hopefully get around £32 for my old phone, which will soon be credited to my bank account, without me having to lift a finger.

It was really that simple, Im now wondering what the fuss was about!  Look, Im now looking much happier about letting go of that dodgy old phone and setting it free for refurbishment and onto pastures new.

By tomorrow, the phone will be somewhere in Scotland, being refurbished by O2s recycling partner Redeem, and once its passed quality control, it will be despatched onto its journey, where it will be tracked all the way.

Apparently it should only take two weeks until it reaches its end destination.  Hopefully then it will quickly find its way to its new owner and I then hope they will get in touch.  Its risky I know, but Ive sent them a message with my email and phone number.

Oh gawd, I could be opening up a whole new can of worms, but it would be exciting to find out with whom it ends up and to discover what really happens when a phone gets recycled.

_________________________________________________________

If youre interested in recycling your old phone for cash, there are many ways in which you can do it, but it you wish to use O2s service, you can recycle by post and fill your details online, or pop into a store near you.  You dont even need to be a customer.  More information is available at www.o2recycle.co.uk.  O2 dont make any profit from this service.  All proceeds from their sales go to their charity Think Big, which supports community projects that help young people.   Other gadgets such as iPods, cameras and even routers can also be recycled, although these are not processed on a cash-back basis.

Read More..