The Local Agenda 21 Forum has lobbied the Council for many years to increase recycling of waste in this Borough, so were delighted when Western Riverside Waste Authority agreed a local 'orange sack' scheme for doorstep collection of mixed recyclable waste. This has proven to be enormously effective, with the latest figures running at 24% domestic waste recycled across the Borough. The Forum was also involved with the Council in the production of a Borough Recycling Guide, for free distribution across the Borough, including to all new residents registering for Council Tax. However, there is still further to go.

We continue to lobby the Council on initiatives to encourage even greater public support for recycling, particularly on estates and mansion blocks. In addition, we are lobbying for similar vigour to be applied to commercial waste, perhaps via planning legislation or supplementary planning guidance.

We are also examining how we can support the wider use of reusable nappies, in place of disposables, which comprise one of the largest single non-recyclable contribution to waste in the Borough.

There are also several recycling opportunities available to gardeners, such as the 'Warm Bin' project. This involves wood chippings and other organic products being warmed by pipes and thereby turning into compost. This could be sold to Garden Centres, for instance. It also offers job creation opportunities. A community composting program will also shortly be piloted by Godolphin community gardens, Collingham ward.

Energy Conservation

There are a number of issues that demand greater attention to energy conservation in the home. These include well-established ones like the dangers of global warming and the financial cost of poor heating and ventilation systems. However, many features of daily life suggest there is no problem; shops, offices, hospitals and colleges often set poor examples as energy savers; wastefully super-cooled in the summer and over-heated in the winter. Recently published DoE leaflets advising on Energy Saving, following on from the Conservation Bill, are useful but little-known.

Localised projects targeting landlords, rather than individuals might prove rewarding as the benefits would be more easy to measure. The thrust of any policy should be to persuade us to feel that 'we are in control of our environment'. Somehow, this should be made to relate to global problems.