Absolutely Fantastic Rubbish Event -Saturday 11th January 2025
The Reduce Team of Tollesbury Climate Partnership started the village Recycling Scheme six months ago targeting items that Maldon District Council can’t recycle. It has been an enormous success. We have stopped over 400kgs of potential black bag contents going to landfill or incineration, including 93kg of batteries and 125 single use vapes, which could be a fire risk if stored incorrectly; 324 bras; 523 spectacles etc.
The Rubbish Event was to build on this. Waste management is an expensive problem.
To solve it we REDUCE it.
If we make less rubbish, we have less to sort. We had a Reduce idea corner, with examples of how to stop using single use products around the house (such as kitchen paper, cling film, tin foil, washing up sponges, paper napkins). We should think about reduce when shopping: take our own bags, pick up items with no packaging, do we actually need this, could I buy this secondhand. We have a TCP Party Hire Kit (to reduce single use party plates, cutlery, glasses) and a Toddler Clothes swapping rail.
We should REUSE items.
Our seamstress table was one of the busiest, with zips replaced, collars altered, jumper moth holes mended. If we buy slightly better quality goods they will last longer and can be mended rather than replaced.
We should REPURPOSE.
The North Colchester Men’s Shed were a delight. They collect unwanted wood and other DIY products to make stunning bird, bug and hedgehog boxes. Well, they actually can make anything. They will continue to help us with future swift boxes for the village. Rubbish can be turned into art. And wow, stunning art. Thankfully it wasn’t my task to judge the Rubbish Art Competition, but there were many worthy winners of the handmade rubbish trophies. But not all repurpose tasks have to be time consuming or requiring a hidden talent. Off-cuts of fabric with a length of string can become bunting! Kitchen waste can be repurposed into compost and we would love to introduce a Compost Buddy scheme into the village, where neighbours collect and make compost together.
SWAPPING is an easy way to reduce rubbish.
If you don’t want something, someone else might. This was shown by the Unwanted Christmas table, raffle of Unwanted gifts, drop off of Unwanted paint and Unwanted small electrical items. Your unwanted paint will be used by TAP for production of future scenery, including the Panto (Oh yes it will!). Some of the electrical items and a few tins were not salvageable, so I took to the Maldon dump. Electrical items are one of the main rubbish resources that are wasted into landfill. There are many components that can be reclaimed if taken to the correct disposal locations.
Maldon District Council and Green Recycling came to answer all our rubbish queries and were blown away by Tollesbury. The venue was packed by all ages. The central rubbish heap became a playground. The Human Recycling machine got many gasps and giggles. And who knew crushing cans could get competitive.
Do keep in touch reduce@tollesburyclimate.org
Share your ideas with us and we can make a difference.
Thank you
We want to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have used this scheme to divert your items from landfill and not to mention our fantastic hosts that house our collection points and have been so supportive of this scheme to make it such a success.
Collection Points
To see where you can recycle your items click on the link below:
If you want to get involved or have any questions about our scheme then contact us at reduce@tollesburyclimate.org
Tollesbury Climate Partnership is a registered waste carrier with the Environment Agency.