Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

One of the most contentious local developments for many years is the proposed waste processing plant just along the North Circular at Pinkham Way.

Opposition to the development has focussed on its scale, impact on air quality, or the suitability of its location next to schools and residential areas. Yet within the community campaigning there is an acceptance that the waste we are all generating needs to be dealt with, and ideally we should all be working to ensure we reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place.

This website carries an extensive set of resources providing lots of useful local information about waste prevention and tips on how to resuse and recycle a huge range of materials.

In reality the need for massive waste reprocessing plants can only be removed when there is a collective reduction in the stuff we all put in our bins.

On October 15th the Bowes Park Community Association will be holding an Environment Fair to help share information about what we can do locally to reduce waste, save water, reduce energy usage and lessen the environmental impact of our travel. But it's not all doom and gloom an serious stuff ... the way to realy make the important behaviour changes -particularly for young people -is to make it simple and fun - so do come along to celebrate our local environment and meet you neighbours ... there will be cake!

Download a flyer about the event and share it with your friends and neighbours.

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on September 29, 2011 at 18:25

The Bowes Park Environment Fair is taking Place in a couple of weeks time - there are a few ways you can help.

Could you volunteer to help on the day - there are a number of jobs where an extra pair of hands could help things run smoothly
Can you help with spreading the word - there is an online flyer and printed copies are available are there any networks or contacts where you could help distribute information
Cake! - There is always cake at community events, could you contribute a home made speciality?

Please leave a comment below or e-mail if you are able to help - or need any further information.

Thank You!

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on October 19, 2011 at 17:40

Last weekend's Environment Fair was a lot of fun - there was information and activities to help explain what we could each do to live a greener life.

As well as the serious information there was live local Music - Thanks to Richard Lobb, Baxter Stone and co... and not forgetting Cake! ... and lots of other home baked goodies.

The event was supported by the Enfield Council Residents Priority Fund and attended by two of our Bowes Ward Councillors - who have included a short write up on their blog It will also feature in the next issue of Enfield People Magazine

Have a look at the photographs below - and put a date in your diary for the Spring Environment fair - to be held at the TAB Centre at Trinity-at-Bowes Methodist Church on Saturday, 24th March 2012.

Find more photos like this on Bowes and Bounds Connected

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on November 11, 2011 at 15:04

Further update on the Bowes Park Environment Fair - it features in the latest edition of the Enfield Council Magazine _ Our Enfield (click on this link and scroll to page 8)

Thanks again to all who attended and helped out at the event - and thanks to all the local businesses that supported it through donations of Raffle prizes.

A press release from Enfield Council this week underlines the importance of understanding re-cycling. In it's rather jokey message the Council identify some of the more unsavory items which people have incorrectly attempted to re-cycle - but do any of us really know exactly which bit of plastic packaging can be recyled and which goes into the black sack? At the core of the message is the desire to move from a level of 34% recycling to 47% . A significant shift but the national average is at 41%. locally Barnet is recycling 33% and Haringey is a far poorer performer only reaching 25% of its total refuse being recycled.The top recycling borough in England - Rochford in South Essex has an impressive 66% recycling rate.

A comparative chart of North London Boroughs recycling was prepared by a member of the Pinkham Way Alliance and is available for download - not only does it show low recyling rates across north London - but it also points out the huge differences in what each borough actually collects from the roadside - and even from different types of accommodation - there are different rules if you live in a flat - different again if that flat happens to be above a shop. Whilst there are likely to be operational reasons for these rules I can't help thinking that they exist as barriers preventing people from doing what we all know we should.

If a fraction of the time, effort and money that is being ploughed into the Pinkham Way development was spent on co-coordinating recycling between the seven boroughs we might find we don't need Europe's biggest recycling plant at all!