Sustainability & Swishing
Yesterday I received a package – an online order of clothing. There were four items, each in its own bag, and they were delivered in a larger bag. All the bags are of course plastic. To bin or to burn, that is the question… but I was suddenly in the mood for protest, so instead I took action, in my own small way. I completed the returns slip, listing “plastic bags surplus to requirements”, with a message saying that one plastic bag would be OK in future, preferably compostable, and asking that my message should be forwarded to management! All the bags will be returned using the free label provided. Well, that’s today’s little rebellion against the tide of plastic that has been so much in the news recently.
Save your biscuit wrappers, triggers off spray bottles, toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes and packaging and more listed here and we will recycle them for Terracycle charities.
Also raising awareness of the Plastic Problem is the move to make “Eco Bricks”, by stuffing plastic drinks bottles with non-recyclable plastic bags and wrappers. Let me tell you, one 2-litre bottle can hold a huge amount of plastic! What a great way to raise awareness of the sheer quantity of plastic we consume. I must admit, I laughed when I heard that some people are proposing to use these eco-bricks for building, but you can read all about it at ecobricks.org (The Global Ecobrick Alliance) , and even join a Facebook page which already has 37,000 members.
“The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. It ended because it was time for a re-think about how we live.” – William McDonough (architect, designer and author)
We’d love to hear your opinions and ideas on the subject of sustainability. Just email share@south-hill.co.uk to join the debate.
Twelfth Night Event – SWISHING!
On January 5th 2019, we will be holding our annual Twelfth Night event, but this year with a new twist. As well as bringing your Christmas tree (real ones only please!) for recycling, you can also take part in a “Swishing” party. Swishing works like a giant clothes swap: you bring items you no longer wear and exchange them for something new-to-you.
According to research from JD Women, in the UK we each own an average of six unworn items of clothing, and women are twice as likely as men to have clothes they’ve never worn. The survey of 2,000 adults found that 36% never buy second-hand clothing, but 38% are buying new clothes at least once a month.
We’ll bring drinks and nibbles, and if you have any food and drink you’d like to use up before starting your New Year diet, please bring them along. We’ll be happy to “recycle” them too!
Parish Hall developments
Following our installation of battery technology at the Parish Hall in Golberdon to make full use of the solar PV panels, we were excited to learn that two awards have been made to further develop the building and make it more sustainable (that word again!) for the future. SHARE will be able to answer questions about the new battery display at the SWISHING event on January 5th.
Wood
Firewood delivered for £120 (trailer load) or £60 (dumpy bag) with free kindling, plus wood chippings available for garden mulch at £5 (dumpy bag).Please contact Ali on 384544, or email share@south-hill.co.uk.