Lesley Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I was looking through some old stuff at the weekend and came across the booklet which first started me on my journey............ I felt quite depressed reading it In 1980, I was a founder member of the Stratford Friends of the Earth group and five of us visited the Birminham group before we set up ours. I bought a booklet called "What on Earth are we doing at Home?" I was considered seriously wierd back then (nothing new there then!) - along the lines of 'knit your own sandals' I used to recycle before it was fashionable, make my own bread/yoghurt/food!!! My neighbours avoided me because I spent time with my children rather than send them out to play on the street at 7.30am and only worry if they weren't back by 6pm. The subjects covered by the book include... The importance of recycling oil (including sump oil) Growing your own food Organic food Access to allotments Energy saving Packaging Recycling Domestic Waste etc.......... It was really disappointing to see that very little has changed in over 25 years! Here is a scanned newspaper cutting from December 1980/Jan 1981 - not very good quality I'm afraid. I'm on here - and so is my son for those of you who know him......... have a guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I don't recognise either of you - but of course we have never met so that is hardly surprising. I bought a Friends of the Earth cook book in the early 80s when I was at uni - it had info on things like (what are now known as) food miles, why we should eat less meat (because it requires more resources to feed a cow than grow veg) and 'haybox' cooking I agree it really is amazing about how some of the ideas in there are being 'recycled' and repackaged 25 years on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Neither of you have changed in the slightest Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Good for you! It is depressing that nothing has changed though. I wonder what the next 25 years will bring. Are you the 3rd adult from the right...set back a bit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Unfortunately there's still a hard core group, who won't commit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatedog Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Saw the news about councils wanting to charge for the amount we throw away - fine in principle but our council has no facilities for recycling all plastics yet - and although I'm trying really hard to avoid buying over-packaged goods, it's inevitable that some find their way into my house....plus the charging will only encourage fly-tipping......... and will also encourage people to put their waste into someone else's bin......there will be "bin-wars" on the streets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I've noticed that it has started here - we don't have pay as you throw, but we do have fortnightly collections, and I have noticed an increase in domestic binliners full of rubbish being left in the bins in our park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I don't pay for my rubbish or recycling, but I pay £36 per year for my garden waste bin, emptied monthly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 You can't hire a skip round here without others dumping their rubbish in it. My friend once observed someone she knew putting stuff in her skip. After dark her and her husband took it out and placed it on the doorstep of the dumper. Nothing was ever said apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 I put a notice on a skip once asking if the person who had placed their rubbish in it would like to contribute towards the cost I was serious - as a single parent at the time, I couldn't really afford it and there was space left - if they'd come and knocked on the door and asked, I wouldn't have had a problem with it. Our worry here is that people will fly tip in our gateway as we can't see it from the house - we would be responible for having it cleared away. ......... unless we could push it a couple of metres so that it was on County Council land ......... but then we're all paying for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 You can't hire a skip round here without others dumping their rubbish in it. My friend once observed someone she knew putting stuff in her skip. After dark her and her husband took it out and placed it on the doorstep of the dumper. Nothing was ever said apparently. I watched things come and go in a skip I had recently - it was quite entertaining! A side table was taken, then replaced and taken again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Don't be depressed, I think things have improved a lot, and I speak as someone who twenty-five years ago probably didn't think much about recycling, if at all. Yes there is still a hard-core of people who don't care/don't know/don't want to care, but I think more and more people do recycle these days, and apart from anything else it's much easier now as councils have been forced to take a pro-active approach. Whatever the motives behind that, I can now put plastic and cardboard out for collection, as well as the other stuff, and there are more recycled products available to buy. I probably recycle about 75% or more of my rubbish, 25 years ago that would hardly have been possible, at least not without huge effort in transporting it. I applaud you for having been such an early mover in recycling, and I think you should be proud, not depressed, at the way things have moved on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 2, 2007 Author Share Posted November 2, 2007 Thank you Ollie Perhaps you're right, and things have moved on a little. So now, I shall just feel depressed because in that photo, I was young, slim and had long blonde hair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 ...and DS had hair too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 2, 2007 Author Share Posted November 2, 2007 He still has Clare - he just shaves it off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 So now, I shall just feel depressed because in that photo, I was young, slim and had long blonde hair Well, that means I was right in spotting you - on the right holding the banner. Lesley - you're still as lovely, it comes from within - not size or hair length. I was reading this this morning and it made me think of this thread. the amount of food that gets thrown away every week in the UK alone, could prevent thousands of people from starving to death every year. The classic recipes that helped use up leftovers have been forgotten as many people buy them ready made. As much as I love my parents-in-law, I secretly turn my nose up when we go for tea and it's a shop bought shepherd pie or lasagne. They do make a great bubble and squeak though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Maybe we should start a "How to create fabulous dishes from left over food" thread. Seriously....why not. We should be guided by our senses and not sell by dates too. Use by dates are a bit more reliable. So much useable food is thrown away unnecessarily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 A brilliant idea egluntine it could go in the Green Thinking forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 You go first with the In laws Bubble and Squeak! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 4, 2007 Author Share Posted November 4, 2007 .....not in the All Things Nice section? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Maybe it depends on their cooking If you leave a washing machine (or an old boiler ) outside your property in Sheffield for a few days it will be taken away by someone. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Maybe it depends on their cooking If you leave a washing machine (or an old boiler ) outside your property in Sheffield for a few days it will be taken away by someone. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. Same here, tumble driers, bits of wood-anything really. Sometimes someone might knock and ask but other times people take things in the middle of the night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
