Eglwysbach family on track to zero waste after recycling drive

Sep 2 2010 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

A YOUNG Conwy Valley family is well on the way to reaching zero waste, thanks to a pioneering new recycling scheme in Eglwysbach.

Josie and Jon Goodwin, along with Jac, four, and 10-month-old Bethan, have gone from squashing down rubbish in their bin to having it only half-full.

The Goodwins are one of many families benefiting from new weekly collections of plastic, food waste, cardboard, textiles, batteries, paper, cans and glass, as well as fortnightly collections of garden waste.

The changes are part of a pioneering Zero Waste project, which aims to see the amount of waste sent to landfill become as close to zero as possible.

Since the new scheme was launched on August 2 in Eglwysbach, the amount of rubbish sent to landfill from the village has shrunk by 23%.

Jon Goodwin, a teacher at Ysgol y Gogarth, said: “We have always composted uncooked kitchen scraps at home but now with the food waste collection, we don’t need to put any food in the rubbish bin.

“Before the changes came in, we recycled paper, cans, glass and garden waste at home anyway and would walk down to the recycling bank for plastics, but it’s a lot easier and more convenient now. Most people wouldn’t admit to it but if you’re in a rush and it’s not collected from home, you are more likely to throw things away rather than make an effort to recycle them.”

But things have changed for the better in Eglwysbach since Conwy County Council’s Zero Waste project was launched.

Jon added: “When you walk through the village on a Sunday night now, you can see that everyone’s getting into it and are busy putting out their recycling. It’s quite impressive.”

Josie Goodwin, a geologist for Fugro Robertson in Llandudno, said: “Seeing how much plastic we were getting through – filling a couple of carrier bags a week – was frightening and made us change the way we shop. We buy loose vegetables and try not to buy ready meals.

“The one thing everyone should do is support their milkman as the bottles are used again and again, and it supports a small local business.

“The children’s toys are a nightmare as they’re so often made of plastic, but we get lots second-hand and send things on to the charity shops so they are being reused. We have also tried washable nappies but finding time to wash and dry them is a big commitment.

“Storing the recycling is the biggest problem as we have a very small kitchen but we just have to adapt the way we live. I’m sure that as we get used to it, we will be able to recycle even more.”

Katie Trent, Zero Waste coordinator for Conwy, praised the efforts being made. She said: “I’m delighted by the enthusiasm shown by Eglwysbach residents towards our new recycling collection service. I’d like to encourage the community to carry on reducing, reusing and recycling so that we can move towards zero waste.”

samantha.castle