May 2011 newsletter (6MB)

For individual tenants, this video meant the opportunity to express what the renovation of the communal space meant to them. It’s also a reminder for us all, that it doesn’t take long for closes and the backcourt to become a mess which no-one takes responsibility for, if even small degrees of neglect creep in.

The 9 minute DVD was made as part of a national action research project, ‘Demonstrating the Links’, funded and supported by Greenspace Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Communities Scotland, NHS Health Scotland and the Scottish Community Development Centre. 2006

(Director: G-MAC with Editing by Craig Walker 2007)

To remind you and your flatmates what can be recycled and where to put refuse, why not download our handy poster? You can keep it on your desktop, or print it out.
Download Poster

In this section :

Why we recycle

What to recycle and where

What can’t be recycled

Other recycling options

Unwanted clothes

Unwanted furniture/Electrial Goods

Just about anything

Disposal of Bulk Items

Disposal of Fridges

Composting

Domestic Rubbish

Why Recycle ?

Most of the rubbish in Britain is sent for landfill or incineration. As more and more waste is produced, our available landfill space is being filled at an alarming rate. Both landfill and incineration of waste causes environmental damage and items, such as glass, don’t degrade. Each household in Britain produces about a tonne of waste every year, around 80% of which could be reused and recycled.

Each year in Glasgow, an estimated 145, 000 items that could be used are dumped into landfill sites, in addition to the household waste above.

It’s a matter of doing your bit. If we all continue to put recyclable items into the green bins, or throw out furniture and clothes, we’re contributing needlessly to landfill.

Recycling in GOW Triangle

Quite apart from getting to feel environmentally smug, recycling comes with benefits for us at home too ; those of you who already recycle will have found that you take down less black bin bags, so buy less of them and make less trips to the bin sheds.
The blue recycling bins are housed in the same bin sheds as the green bins, so it’s quick and easy to dispose of recycling.

We’ve found that if people aren’t recycling it’s because one or some of the factors below :

• They don’t know what can and can’t be recycled
• They don’t know how to store recycling in their flat
• They’re being a bit lazy

We’ll cover in this section what can be recycled and where.
For low cost to higher end recycling containers click here to see plenty of options on how to store your recycling at home.
As for the laziness factor, well once you get into the way of recyling you’ll find that it becomes second nature and actually saves time.

What can we recycle in our blue bins ?

Newspapers
Magazines
Plastic Items (plastic bottles and plastic food packaging)
Tins
Beer and drink cans

What can’t we recycle in our blue bins ?

Cardboard
Glass

Glass items can be recycled in the big green glass bins at the side of the car park on Gibson Street.
We suggest that you keep your cardboard items with the rest of your recycling in the flat, flatten it, or tear it up for larger items. Wait until you have a good amount stored, then put them into the green bins or recycle them through an organisation like The Reclaimer. (See below.)
Flattening and tearing up the cardboard saves room for storage and also in the bins.

It’s a great pity that we don’t have an option to recycle cardboard, because as a community we produce a lot ; from cereal and food packaging, to boxes generated from new purchases and people moving in and out. For a small fee The Reclaimer will come and pick up cardboard, BUT only as part of your weekly recycling. In other words, with the plastic, cans, bottles etc. they don’t collect any type of item on it’s own.The Reclaimer is a non-profit organisation based in Wilton Street. For more visit their website : www.thereclaimer.co.uk

Other recycling options

The Reclaimer, as mentioned above will collect recycling weekly. They can recycle more materials than we can in our blue bins, such as tetra pak items, CDs, brown corrugated cardboard and glass.

call 0141 945 0700 or visit their website.

The Coach House Trust in Belmont Lane provide recycling facilities for cans, paper, glass and plastics. Their shop on the Great Western Road sells work undertaken by the trust, including paintings, wood carvings, restored furniture and ceramics. Many items are made out of recycled or reclaimed materials.
The Coach House Trust

Unwanted clothes

Don’t just chuck them out. If your old duds are in good enough repair, take them to one of our many charity shops.

Shelter is on Great Western Road and Oxfam, Cancer Research UK and Save the Children are on Byres Rd.

Unwanted Furniture/Electrical Goods

The Salvation Army on Dumbarton Road will take furniture and electrical goods. They resell donations, so they have to be in selling condition. Any electrical items must be working and any items with foam in them must have a fire safety label to be accepted.
www.salvationarmy.org.uk

Ruchill Furniture Project will uplift your unwanted reuseable furniture FREE of charge, to provide affordable furniture for those in need and to benefit the environment by diverting useable resources away from landfill.

Call 0141 945 2746

Recycle Just About Anything !

Why not join Freecycle ? They’re a non-profit group and everything posted on the site must be free. Membership is free and all you have to do is join their Yahoo group. Details on how to do this are on their website. You can offer unwanted goods and browse postings if you’re looking for something for free.
This is a great way to recycle goods.
Freecycle Glasgow

Disposal of Bulk Items

Bulk items include furniture, carpets, large cardboard items, building materials etc.
The Council collects on Tuesday from the kerbside.
The best collecting points are on Westbank Quadrant outside the railings. (At the gates between Nos 1&3 or 5&7.)
Glasgow City Council do not collect items from the backcourt so items should not be left there.
If you experience any difficulties phone the Council on 0141 287 9700.

Fridges

Phone the Council’s Bulk Refuse Uplift on 0141 287 9700.
If your landlord is disposing of a fridge for you, it’s their responsibility to arrange for it to be taken away.

Composting

GOW has been running a composting trial for a few households in the triangle. (In the bins that look like Daleks !)
We don’t currently have the capacity to include any other flats in the trial, but Andrew Pidgeon of The Reclaimer hopes to offer a zero waste food waste service soon. This will use a super composter called ‘The Rocket’, so called because it converts waste to compost very quickly. We’ll keep you posted.

Domestic Rubbish

Domestic rubbish (general household waste, food scraps etc.) should be placed in a tied bin bag and put in the green bins in the backcourt.
Please be mindful your neighbours and don’t leave piles of black bin bags outside your door in the close. Always aim to take bags down the same day if you have to place them temporarily outside your door.
Bags left for any time start to smell and leak and you’re likely to have complaints from others in your close.

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