Green Matters - May 2008
Doing the can-can
Pupils at a Hoxton primary school are unlikely to forget to recycle their drinks cans in the future.
One of Hackney’s 22 planned children’s centres has recently opened in the grounds of Thomas Fairchild Primary School, N1. Finishing touches to the timber building include a wall built using cans recycled by residents in their green boxes.
Headteacher Shona Ferguson said: “Seeing a wall made of aluminium cans will make recycling more real for the children.”
The wall looks particularly impressive when the sun catches it, and everyone involved is pleased with the innovative structure.
Architects are due to complete the project at the end of the month. It will be officially unveiled in June.
Nothing damp about it
Parents from all over Hackney flocked to London Fields for a funpacked picnic in the park.
The event, part of national Real Nappy Week, was a roaring success, with the Hackney Youth Jazz Band entertaining the crowds, who feasted on tasty Caribbean food. Children enjoyed a show of balloon modelling with clowns and unicycles. There was also a pirate ship to play on, and lots of other fun activities.
Plus there was information for parents about how easy real cloth nappies are to use, and details of the £54 voucher the Council offers residents to help get them started with real nappies.
Parents from the Hackney Real Nappy Network were also on hand to answer questions.
The event on 26 April was organised with the help of Groundwork East London. The eco-charity’s Senior Project Coordinator, Sam Alexander, said:
“There was a fantastic turnout, and the event has really helped to emphasise the environmental and economic benefits of using real cloth nappies, an initiative that Groundwork East London is actively promoting through its Every Nappy Counts project.”
Every baby gets through around 5,000 nappies as they grow up, and eight million nappies are thrown away everyday in the UK.
As well as having environmental benefits, real nappies can save parents around £500 per baby.
More information
For nappy details see:
- www. hackney.gov.uk/wasteprevention
- www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk
- www.groundwork-eastlondon.org.uk
- www.hackneyrealnappy.net
Get over your plastic bag hang-ups
Shoppers in Stoke Newington will get a chance to hang their eco-guilt out to dry – and swap their plastic carriers for a fashionable cloth bag.
Local green group Bring Your Own Bag N16 Campaign has arranged for a washing line where people can hang up their unwanted plastic bags.
It will be put up outside William Patten School in Stoke Newington Church Street between 10am and 1pm on 17 May. Shoppers who hang a carrier will also get a campaign sticker.
It is estimated that up to 200 million plastic bags are thrown away every year in Britain.
Campaign founder, Andrew Lambert, said:
“Since we launched the campaign we have received enormous local support. We hope to have hundreds of bags on our washing line by the end of the day.
“This will be the first step in our campaign to rid Stoke Newington of these bags, which are a blight on the local environment.”
Thank you for making it happen
One year on, and Hackney residents deserve a pat on the back for their efforts to make the borough a cleaner, greener place after compulsory recycling was introduced.
Since March last year all residents in street level properties should have been sorting waste with the Green Box scheme, while recycling trials on estates have also been underway.
Fiona Fletcher Smith, the Council’s Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration, said:
“Hackney is now recycling more than a quarter of the waste it produces each month.
“This is great news and could not have been achieved without residents making full use of the Green Box collection service.
“Let’s all keep up the good work in helping to make Hackney a cleaner, greener borough to live and work in.”
Since being included in the Green Box scheme, residents’ plastic bottles have been re-used to help make commercial drainpipes, decking, fencing, and park benches.
Recycling in Hackney has come a long way during the past 12 months, with the borough now reaching Government targets.
Detailed performance figures are due to be released in summer, so watch this space.
Sowing seeds for the future
Youngsters from Hackney have been using their spare time to brighten up an estate by planting shrubs, trees and flowers.
The pupils from Shacklewell and Colvestone primary schools in Hackney travelled to Tower Hamlets to take part in the community planting and fun day.
The trip was part of a project, which encourages Hackney youngsters to learn more about communities in neighbouring boroughs.
The 10 to 11-year-olds have enjoyed various weekend trips to city farms, art galleries and wildlife clubs across Camden, Lambeth, Islington and Tower Hamlets.
In the latest expedition on 29 March, the children travelled to Bow Bridge Estate in E3, where they made bird boxes, watched a steel drum show and had their faces painted.
Some of the youngsters described it as ‘the best day’, adding ‘it was fun’ and ‘I loved the gardening’.
The initiative was organised by environmental group Green Gang, in partnership with Trees for Cities and A Space, based at Shacklewell School, E8.
It offers learning and support to children moving from primary to secondary school and gives them the opportunity to mix with other primary school pupils.
Jenny Holliday from Green Gang said: “The children enjoyed being outside and were proud to take home their bird boxes.
“They wanted to talk about things they will miss when they leave primary school, and the apprehensions they felt about moving on. We chatted about aspirations and staying focused in and out of school. By the end they were calmer and seemed much freer in themselves.”
A spokesperson for Trees for Cities added: “It was fantastic to have the young people involved in our community planting event.
“We hope the experience of getting actively involved in improving the environment and learning new green skills will inspire them to get involved in transforming their own local areas in Hackney.
More information
For further details visit: www.treesforcities.org.
Save money and help the planet
Residents can find out more about saving energy and water – and pick up a free, green lightbulb to get them started.
Hackney Homes Neighbourhood Offices will be hosting a series of advice sessions in May, offering energy-saving tips for the home.
There will be the latest information on energy-efficient products, and grants to help people make their homes greener.
Residents will also be able to pick up a free, low energy light bulb to start them on the road to cutting their carbon footprint.
More than 8,000 energy-saving light bulbs have so far been given to residents by Hackney Homes.
More information
Find out dates and times of the sessions at: www.hackneyhomes.org.uk.
For energy-saving advice email: saveenergy@hackneyhomes.org.uk.
Page updated: 28 May 2008