Isonomia

by Chris Sherrington

As the father of two young children I am frequently reminded how early in life we develop a sense of what is fair, and (perhaps more intensely), what isn’t. One of my favourite methods of avoiding adjudicating on such matters is to step outside and busy myself with preparing materials for recycling. Given the nature of my work and my company’s culture, it will come as no surprise to hear that I am a pretty diligent recycler. Moreover, as far as I can, I try to prevent the generation of waste in the first place. The upshot is that the Sherrington family’s black bag waste is comprised almost entirely of plastic films and wraps.

Read more on It’s not fair…

by Phillip Ward

The upside of Eric Pickles’ venture into waste funding is that thanks to the good sense of local authorities not all of the £250m Weekly Collection Support Scheme will be wasted. By my reckoning it will pay for 23 new or extended food waste collections to be introduced and various expansions of recycling services, without any significant return to weekly residual waste collections.

Read more on Pickles puts councils in a jam…

by  Rob Gillies

The biggest job in UK local government is up for grabs on May 3^rd, as voters hit the polls for the London Mayoral election. Whilst it may not quite match the razzmatazz of the US democratic process, it has thrown up one or two highlights. You may have seen Peter Jones’s comparison of the green policies of the would-be Republican nominees – in the same spirit, what do the mayoral candidates have to offer an environmentally minded Londoner?

Read more on Do votes grow on trees?…

by Chris Sherrington

Waste prevention is widely seen as a good thing. It seems pretty clear to most people that while it is good to recycle, it is better not to create waste in the first place. But recent legislation actually makes it impossible for local authorities in England to take the steps that have been shown to be the most effective in preventing waste.

Read more on Preventing waste prevention…

by Phillip Ward

There is a lot more to the obese Localism Bill than planning.

Take the Community Right to Challenge. This will allow community groups, voluntary bodies or charities to express an interest in taking over all or part of a local service, provided by a local authority or on its behalf.  In respect of waste services, the model might be the successful recycling collections being run by the Cwm Harry Land Trust in Powys – although the powers won’t apply in Wales. Their brand of local “slow recycling” has engaged the local community and raised recycling rates to 74%.

Read more on Community rights a trojan horse?…