RECYCLING – What have REG done?
Collection of Soft Plastics
About three years ago we started collecting these in the Village Hall. However, it could be said that it was too successful as there was too much to handle. Shortly after a couple of local supermarkets started to provide bins for soft plastics and now they are common in most supermarkets. But, there is a caveat here. Many supermarkets, including very well known ones, are burning rather than recycling the plastics and even some of those that are recycled are sent overseas for example Turkey. See
Collection of Blister Packs
Again this was started in the Village Hall and at first taken to Superdrug in Blackburn.
They stopped doing this and it was difficult to track down firms that would take the blister packs for free. Then we heard that Clitheroe Rotary would take them to Longridge and from there they would go to a chap on the Fylde who would separate the aluminium from the plastic. Proceeds from this went to the Myeloma charity.
Now Whalley Lions have taken over the collection, however that is currently suspended as there are currently too many packs to be processed and according to Clitheroe Rotary Club the chap on the Fylde has stopped the service altogether. If anyone hears of blister packs being recycled please let us know. There is surely a business opportunity here for somebody!
At one point we collected make up, however this can easily be taken to Superdrug or Boots.
Repairing Household items
A few years ago we contacted Dr. John Barker from Martholme Greenway and he agreed to become our Dr. Fixit. That is, he repairs small household and garden items, including electricals and this saves them from going into the nearest tip or landfill area or even being sent abroad for disposal. Although he has repaired a few items this has been nowhere near what we imagined would be brought forward.
Repair Café
Lately one of our members has been investigating the Repair Café, an idea which has become international and sprung up around the world and the UK. See https://www.repaircafe.org/en/. Their website also has useful advice on how to repair items yourself. The nearest ones to us are probably Silsden and Mytholmroyd.
At the present time – October 2024, two members are involved with the setting up of Clitheroe Repair Café due to open in February 2024 under the umbrella of Ribble Valley Climate Action Network (RVCAN).
Anyone can go with an item to be repaired. Some Repair Cafés also have other useful environmental services like refill stations for cleaning and hygiene products and advice on reducing heating bills and reducing your carbon footprint at the same time.
The Benefits of having a Repair Café near you…
It will save you money as you can keep your clothes, toys, electrical items, small items working for much longer.
It saves items from going into landfill in our local area, which means less greenhouse gases like methane being produced and less leachate poisoning the ground and water sources which is bad for human health and wildlife. The UK is fast running out of landfill sites.
Another bonus – by repairing things and not buying new stuff there will be less CO2 emissions produced and our individual CO2 footprint is reduced, which helps to reduce global warming.
Our Newsletters
Also through our newsletter we alert people to ways in which they can reuse and recycle various items and packaging and mention campaigns that put pressure on the government to act.