Green Matters June 2008
Green day out
Over 3,000 people flocked to a sunny London Fields to enjoy an environmentally themed fun day.
The third annual BeRecreative event featured imaginative activities to engage young and old, plus over 40 stalls and information about everything from cycling and energy efficiency to composting and recycling.
There was plenty to keep youngsters busy, including making musical instruments and toys from junk and recycled materials. One of the most popular areas was the Give or Take pitch, where lots of treasures changed hands, from books to bikes.
Visitors could feast on a great selection of organic food and drink, and even bring their own containers to stock up on nuts and dried food at the Be Unpackaged stand. Others brought their own picnics and relaxed listening to live performances from Hackney bands and musicians.
Jill Hawkin said: “What a great event, it has a real community feel to it. Everyone is having so much fun while learning about environmental issues, a perfect balance. It’s just fantastic.”
The event on 7 June, held as part of Recycle Now and London Sustainability weeks, was a joint effort between the Council’s recycling team and its Green Champions who all put in a huge amount of hard work to make the day possible.
The Champions are a group of residents who volunteer their spare time to spread the green message across the borough.
Champion Beck Dabscheck, said: “It was a fun way to get serious environmental issues across. Everyone got involved in all the different activities while learning about how we can all do our bit to take responsibility for our environment.”
Cllr Alan Laing, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, added:
“I’m delighted so many residents visited the BeRecreative event and enjoyed taking part in the activities. Recycling is a priority for the Council.
We are committed to improving our local environment.”
More information
Find details of London Sustainability Week at: http://lovelondon.london21.org/page/163
Learn more about Recycle Now at: www.recyclenow.com
Carbon crackdown
Hackney is leading the way in environmental sustainability by being the first London council to take part in a national carbon trading pilot scheme.
It works by issuing participants with a virtual carbon budget, based on expected annual levels of emissions and agreed reduction targets.
Councils can then trade carbon at a price set by supply and demand, in order to stay in budget and meet those targets, although no real money changes hands. Instead, authorities buy and sell permits in a virtual marketplace.
The scheme – called Carbon Trading Councils – has been introduced ahead of 2010 when the Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment comes into effect.
It’s all part of Hackney’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, which has seen the introduction of innovative measures including compulsory recycling; engine size-based parking permits; and the greenest refuse collection fleet in the country.
Cllr Sophie Linden, Cabinet Adviser for Environmental Sustainability, said:
“Reducing how much energy we consume will not only make a difference for the future, but can also help residents and businesses to save money.”
Hackney is also participating in the Carbon Trust’s Local Authorities Carbon Management Programme, which provides technical and management support on reducing carbon emissions.
This January, Hackney signed the Nottingham Declaration, a pledge to work with residents, businesses and other organisations to cut emissions.
The Council scooped a prestigious Mayor of London’s Green Procurement Code Awards last October, for measures including using solarpowered pay-and-display machines, fuelling the refuse collection fleet with Biodiesel blend, and buying 100 per cent recycled, unbleached paper.
Latest on estates recycling
Recycling on estates is changing as the Council investigates the best way to help high rise residents do their bit for the environment.
Currently, the majority of estates are served by strategically located recycling banks.
Last year however, the Council began trials of different types of collection schemes for estates.
Hackney was one of the few local authorities in the country to test the effectiveness of door-to-door collections on estates.
The results of these trials are now being analysed to work out which method should be rolled out across the borough.
Door-to-door collections for high-rises have already been ruled out however, following objections from the London Fire Brigade (LFB).
It raised concerns that recyclable materials left in corridors could affect fire escape routes and posed a fire risk. These fears were later confirmed by independent fire safety consultants.
Other local authorities across London are now also in the process of stopping collections from high rise buildings as a result of this advice.
The good news however, is that people living in some street level properties in estates can get a recycling Green Box and Blue Bin food waste collection from their front door.
Cllr Alan Laing, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “It’s unfortunate we need to stop door to door collections for high rise blocks.
However we are rolling out the Green Box and Blue Bin collections where we can for street level homes.
“We’ve also responded to requests for plastics and cardboard recycling and are working towards increasing the number of recycling banks on estates by 20 per cent.”
He added: “Estates with little recycling provision will be prioritised in the roll out.”
More information
For more info, call the recycling hotline on: 020 8356 6688.
Grow your own
Residents have been getting their hands dirty to transform a patch of unused grass into a community garden.
The once rundown plot on the Wenlock Barn Estate in Shoreditch will even boast an allotment, as the garden has a particular focus on growing food.
Local environmental action group Grass Shoots, the Wenlock Barn Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) and the Shoreditch Trust, helped make the garden a reality.
The project was launched on 14 April and attracted more than 100 people in the first week. Over 20 residents signed up for allotments on the first day.
Not only are residents reaping the benefits of being outdoors and creating a space for the whole community to enjoy, they are also taking active measures to reduce food miles by growing fruit and vegetables in the borough.
Father Danny and daughter Aliya, seven, have been involved since the beginning of the project.
They said:“We’re enjoying being out in the open and can’t wait to enjoy eating the food we’ve grown.”
Over 10 tonnes of compost – produced from the Council’s Blue Bin food waste scheme – was donated to help begin the transformation.
More information
For further details visit: www.grassshoots.org/activities/urban.html.
Doctors come to earth
More than 200 people flocked to Clissold Park to have all their home composting questions answered.
The London Community Recycling Network’s Compost Doctors were on hand on 10 May to offer expert tips to adults, while children enjoyed face-painting and a bouncy castle.
Resident Rae Harrison said: “It was really wonderful to be able to get so much advice. Looking up information in books or online is never as good as having someone to advise you in person.”
Up to 30 per cent of rubbish in an average household bin can be turned into compost, which helps reduce waste and creates natural food for gardens.
The Council provides compost bins and wormeries at heavily subsidised prices to all Hackney residents.
More information
Call Compost Doctor on: 020 7324 4690; visit: the Waste Prevention page; or: www.lcrn.org.uk.
Page updated: 7 Jul 2008