Waste Sourcing Biodiversity Schools Transport
 

Waste

Introduction Objectives Activities Swap Shop How can you help? Links

Activities

Swap Shops

Our best known activity is the Swap Shops which have their own page.

Leaving batteries Examining books Weighing what we've received
 
Swapping Children get involved  

Washable Nappy Trial

Every year, UK landfills take over one million tonnes of nappy waste. Disposable nappies can take 250 years to decompose in a landfill, but there are alternatives. The washable nappy has come a long way since terries and safety pins. 

  • We offer a free 7 day trial of a variety of washable nappies - contact Sally Eccleston on 01491 834780 or contact us.
  • Plush Pants Cloth Nappies is an independent real nappy stockist based in Long Wittenham.  Parents can "try before you buy" on any of the nappies and wraps that we sell, without obligation.  Mum of 4 Christine also will visit toddler and antenatal groups, and can see parents in her home, to advise on the range available and how to use them. Contact Christine on 01865 408040 or visit the website, www.plushpants.com.
  • Click for nappy suppliers.
  • We win a National Real Nappy Award

Wallingford Bunkfest

'In 2005 we collected 5000 plastic beer cups for recycling. In 2006, much hard work by one of our members, with help from the rest of the group and the Bunkfest organizers, achieved the recycling of 77% by volume of the waste from the public bins on the Kinecroft – a great success. The 2007 Bunkfest was much smaller and our involvement wasn't required; we hope to be involved again in 2008. Click here for the Bunkfest site and here for news about our contribution to Bunkfest in 2006. The bins that we used are available for hire to improve recycling rates at other events; contact the CAG project for more information.

Drink cartons

Tetrapaks and similar cartons are hard to recycle as they contain a mixture of materials. As there were no local facilities for recycling them, we began collecting them at our Swap Shops in July 2005. Our efforts to find a good home for them bore fruit in March 2008, by which time we had enough for Tetra Pak to send a large lorry to collect them for recycling (click here to read more). There are now Tetra Pak recycling banks at the recycling centre at Oakley Wood and the council offices car park in Crowmarsh Gifford, although for the time being we continue to collect them at Swap Shops for people who may find it hard to get to these places.

Plastic Bag Free Wallingford

We are privileged to have been invited to join the Town Council working party, which aims to make Wallingford a plastic bag free town. Shop traders in the centre of the town have been approached regarding their views on the idea, and most are very supportive. Our input has been to advise and source a suitable bag which will be launched in July. This will be printed using water based inks, depicting artwork chosen from a wonderful selection provided by Wallingford School students. The slogan was chosen from many thought up by St. John’s School Year 6 pupils, when they chose to concentrate on the bag issue for one of their curricular activities. Their work is displayed in the old Waitrose shop window – do have a look. It is very encouraging to see more and more people around the town reusing bags and not picking up yet another carrier bag.

Wallingford Business Recycling Project

This was run by the Centre for Environmental Studies in the Hospitality Industry at Oxford Brookes University, with support from the government-funded Waste Resources and Action Programme, but Sustainable Wallingford members helped to recruit businesses into a scheme for recycling their business waste. 350 businesses were contacted, and 120 expressed sufficient interest for them to be visited again to encourage them to sign up. A number have now done so, with more expected to – a very good success rate.