Size doesn’t matter, we can all do our bit
May 1, 2012 at 3:33 pm
With the growing concern for the environment over recent years and the ever increasing trend of ‘going green’, recycling has been brought to the forefront of our minds with questions of how we, as individuals, can do ‘our bit’ to help the cause. As with many topical issues being faced by the world today, the small amount of help that we can give, seems futile and more for our own peace of mind than for the causes themselves.
But in fact, this isn’t the case at all when it comes to caring for the environment. When will we start to believe environmental organisations begging us to work together as a team to save our planet, starting by merely separating the waste in our homes? After all, was it not each and every one of us that got us into this mess in the first place?
But, of course, being the humans that we are, we need moral support and constant praise for the help that we are providing. It often seems that unless we raise millions of pounds or recycle half of Hackney, nobody bats an eyelid. Well, all this is starting to change as we see the face of small efforts being nationally recognised.
In the small town of Newmarket in Suffolk, due to rising costs and government cuts, the recycling centre was recently in danger of being closed down. The community itself showed its strengths in preserving the environment by proclaiming that the people would rather pay a small amount to recycle than see the centre closed.
In response to this, a charity named Newmarket Open Door, renowned mostly for its work with rehousing young people in need, decided to save the centre in late August by taking it over. They are charging as little as £3 to dispose of waste difficult to get rid of and nothing for profitable recyclable goods. Anything deemed as reusable is now sold in their charity supermarket in Mildenhall, to raise funds for the causes they facilitate. In addition to this, they have also introduced a number of recycling based initiatives such as waste paper drop-off points at local churches.
Let’s Recycle has introduced a new category in their national ‘Awards for Excellence’ to recognise community achievements such as these across the nation – ‘The Best Community Recycling Initiative’. Open Door has been nominated for this award, winners of which, will be announced this evening by Channel 4’s John Snow.
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