A sense of déjà vu: but this time we've got company

I've got some really exciting news about the Seven Suffolk Streets project about which I wrote a few weeks ago.

We received a letter today announcing that St Edmundsbury has selected our street to be part of a major waste reduction project, which is being co-ordinated by the Suffolk Waste Partnership. And over the next few months residents will have the opportunity to sign-up and find out ways in which households can volunteer to halve the amount of waste that's currently sent to landfill.

The idea is that during March next year, fellow residents will attempt to cut our rubbish by half for a Waste Reduction Fortnight, which is a whole collection period. There won't be any extra wheelie bins laid on for additional waste streams. It's simply about raising awareness of recycling opportunities that already exist and sharing tips about reducing waste.

Of course I am very excited that our household can be part of this project. However, at the same time I am extremely nervous too and I'm not sure why.

It's not that I think we'll have any problems throwing out so little waste. It's actually the opposite. We haven't put out our black wheelie bin since February thanks to having very little rubbish and we only had to put it out then because of some cat litter and giblets. Before that the last time we dragged out our black bin was the beginning of January.

I'm not even worried about filling out the questionnaire, which goes into detail about the stuff that gets thrown in our bin. Because of all my previous rubbish antics there is the issue that the recycling officers will know who I am and will also learn exactly what I throw away. But I'm pretty comfortable with that too.




So I might as well admit here that I'll be simply ticking the box marked "Pet Waste" and then "Other", specifying details such as odd crisp packets, sweetie wrappers,plastic foil wrappers from collectors cards, polystyrene, old pens and pieces of broken toys. Geez, that's a far cry from two years ago when I would have been ticking all the other boxes. Shows how times have changed eh!

Of course, where I would have once been nervous about any media attention that such a project could potentially bring, these days I'm now comfortable with that too and am much more confident than I was almost two years ago when my voice trembled during the Woman's Hour radio recordings - and that wasn't even live! Since, I've been happy to go on air and regularly chat about my exploits to anyone in Suffolk who'll merrily listen. Thanks to the new project, I am sure there will be other community champions who will come forward and will be keen to support the initiative too.

So really, this time around, there should be absolutely nothing for me to worry about at all. There'll be advisers on hand to give help and advice and we'll even get a visit from the Recycling Bus. There'll also be compost give-aways, home composting clinics and Give & Take events to promote reuse. And to top it all there's the promise of awards for the best performing individuals and streets.

Indeed it's all positive news, with so much to look forward to.

So what's the worry?

Well after pacing around the living room, I think I've finally pinned it down.

I'm not worried about the challenge at all. I can only congratulate Suffolk Waste Partnership for winning the funding and having the vision to roll out such an exciting project.

No, the one thing that I'm feeling very nervous about is...

...that people in my street will discover I've got this blog!

Oops!

Oh heck!

I may be an old hand at this blogging lark & the bin slimming challenge, but I still can't get used to people I know finding out about my blogging habits.

So if anyone from my street is looking in, I just want to say, good luck if you're joining in. It's not as hard as it sounds, honest, and I promise I am still as normal as I was before I set up this blog.

I may not throw much rubbish out, but in every other way, I am still almost average!

Well, I'd like to think so anyway.

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More information about the Seven Suffolk Streets project, including the locations that have been selected, can be found on the Recycle for Suffolk website.

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Adventures at London Zoo with big chickens, mummy bloggers and animal poo!

Oh yes, you could say that again! It has most definitely been a case of Animal Adventures. And at London Zoo no less, our destination on a wet and soggy Sunday!

Organised by the P&G site SuperSavvyMe and the British Mummy Bloggers network, a family visit to the zoo was a great opportunity to catch up with some old blogging friends and meet some new ones.

Like this big chicken for instance!



Well that's what Mr A called it when the kids asked what an emu was! And it must be said it was a bit more friendly than the pelicans, who had the body language of my grandmother when she got bored of visitors.


After several attempts at renegotiating the zoo map, we finally found our way to the meet-up, where we were welcomed by three fabulous ladies Susanna aka A Modern Mother, Jen from Alpha Mummy and Nixdminx, who's actually celebrating her first year of blogging.

However, the only photo that I've got of the lively atmosphere was the one taken by my five year old photographer, Little T. Well I suppose it's a perfect snap for any bloggers who might wish to remain anonymous!



It was a great chance to catch up with the very funny Potty Mummy before she disappears off to Moscow as well as Liz from one of my favourite crafting\design blogs Violet Posy. And I finally had the pleasure of meeting Kat from Housewife Confidential, who's busy preparing for the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund Auction to kick off tomorrow along with Natalie from Bambino Goodies, where the auction will be held.

I also had fun chatting to Clareybabble Clare, Tasha from Wahm-Bam, Sandy from Baby Baby, Emily of Maternal Tales, Zoe from Diary of a Surprise Mum, Perfectly Happy Mum aka as Peggy, Babies who Brunch, and last but not least Mothership, who can normally be found immersed in Motherhood:The Final Frontier. However the event wasn't just for "mummy bloggers", it was for dads too, and it was great to bump into Jules Watkins of the video production and blog site Kidsoup.tv.

For a blogger who's normally attached to a keyboard behind the proverbial closed doors of a suburban home, it makes a welcome change to have a chance to meet up with other bloggers who can normally be found doing the same right across the country.

And having had a good couple of hours to exercise the chin-wag action, it was time to brave the weather and take in some sights around the zoo.

The kids had already gone ahead with Mr A who had decided that having a wife for a blogger was enough to handle. I eventually caught up with them being mesmerised by the Moon Jellyfish.



Then off we went to check out some ropes...



...before entertaining some monkeys who were happily chomping on some popcorn. They stared at the children, while the children stared at them. It turned out the boys were actually eyeing up the popcorn but were also impressed that the monkeys weren't in a cage and were simply sat in a tree right next to us.



Of course it wouldn't be a proper family visit without sussing out the recycling bins, which just so happened to be strategically positioned around the zoo. This smiley bin looks very similar to the chirpy one that I spotted in London only the other week, so it must be a popular design.



Then a stop-off at the cafe revealed that food waste is also processed for separate treatment too. Quite naturally, the zoo takes recycling and other environmental issues very seriously and by promoting fair-trade, organic and local seasonal products as well as working hard to conserve water and energy, it is no surprise that it has won several Green awards in the last couple of years.

And as for animal poo, well no self-respecting zoo would miss the opportunity would they?


All I can say is that's one bin I'm glad I don't have to empty and I promise never, ever, ever ever ever, to complain about cleaning out the hen-house again! And I am also particularly grateful my chickens really aren't the size of an emu!

Big chickens eh! Obviously my husband doesn't remember Rod Hull!

Anyway, thanks again to Susanna, and everyone else who was involved in organising the event. It really was a very fun day indeed and I'm now looking forward to what happens next. If you haven't joined yet and would like to get involved, just drop over to British Mummy Bloggers and sign up.

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Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

The official Bury St Edmunds Town Crier

Today I'm all of a lather.

I was going to dedicate a whole blogpost to Nestlé's new Christmas selection boxes - you know the ones that come with 95% recyclable packaging. As they're the first large confectionery manufacturer to ditch the plastic inserts, I thought it would be worthy news.

Then I realised time was running out to vote for the Tetra Pak video competition, so I decided a bit of self-promotion wouldn't go amiss, to plead for you to vote for our "with tantrums and tears" How Do You Squash Yours entry, before time runs out this Sunday. Please, please, please, please, please!

But more importantly, there's the matter of the online charity auction, organised by Housewife Confidential, which will be live at Bambino Goodies on Monday. That deserves a whole post in itself, especially as it's to raise urgent money for the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund.

Oh decisions, decisions. So much news to share and so little time to do it.

So perhaps I should become a Town Crier, like the one spotted while out shopping today, promoting the Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre. Now he's a man who knows how to broadcast news.

Yes, that's it!

Forget blogging & Twitter, just give me a webcam, some regal attire and a handbell and my problems will be solved...well perhaps after a bit of practice.

So here goes...

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez...Remember to commit to reduced packaging this Christmas and to squash your Tetra Paks. And vote for our video too.

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez...Come to Bury St Edmunds this weekend and enjoy the Christmas fayre.

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez...Please, please, please support the Cumbria Flood Recovery auction. Bidding starts Monday and goes on all week.

Now I'm sure I've missed something....

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez

Ah yes...that's it.

Come back next week, when I'll have even more news. And I mean really exciting news!

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!

Oh my! Am I so glad to get all that off my chest. And it means I can now put my feet up tomorrow and give you a break too.

Altogether now...as loudly as you can.

...Hooray, Hooray, Hooray!

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Suffolk people love their food but hate waste

Mike Culver - St Edmundsbury Borough Council

I know this post is going to show me up as a bit of a recycling groupie because while most folk are happy to be star-spotting and hanging around stage doors for photos and autographs of their favourite stars, there's me pegging it into town to try and snap our local recycling officers hard at work!

So having got the nod that it was St Edmundsbury's turn to host Suffolk County Council's marvellous Love Food Hate Waste Stand, I thought I'd drop into town yesterday to take some photos of the free tools that they were giving away to residents as part of their promotion for the European Week for Waste Reduction.

But there I was, running a bit late, yet still planning to get in before midday, when I got a call on my mobile at 11.15am. It was Mike - pictured above - from St Edmundsbury, telling me the stand had been such a success they were close to running out!

Of course, I picked up pace and full-steam ahead, hurtled into town but by the time I got there, the tables were empty and all was left were a dozen or so of the 550 promotional reusable bags that they were giving away! I know it was market day, but that is astounding.

Visitors to the stand were keen to learn how to reduce food waste and engaged brilliantly with the team which combined recycling officers from St Edmundsbury, neighbouring Forest Heath and Suffolk County Council.

So, sorry I've not got any snaps of the gadgets and gizmos folks, but if you live in the area, there should be some great coverage in the local papers and the Love Food Hate Waste stand will also be popping up elsewhere in the county. All the dates can be found at www.suffolkrecycling.org.uk. Of course if you live outside the county, you'll probably see your own council's stand coming to an event near you too. So do keep your eyes peeled.

Well at least I got the opportunity to show my support for Chicken Lovers.



Yes indeed, I can confirm that chicken lovers do hate waste, as do Apple Lovers, Lamb Lovers and Potato lovers. To see the rest of the fabulous photos that accompany the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, pop over to WRAP's www.lovefoodhatewaste.com, where you'll find lots of tips and recipes to help you plan for reducing waste this Christmas. Even Arctic Aunt is available, hot off the press, to help quash some of those freezer myths.

So having hunted down recycling officers and been introduced to Arctic Aunt, it looks like I've got no excuse not to go on my own Freezer Expedition in my little part of Suffolk this weekend. The mission, to start using up stuff before Christmas kicks in and to make room for more tasty leftovers.

Tv presenter, Sue Perkins, is also doing her bit too, as shown in the video below. It would be great if you could also join in. Just remember to send out the search party if I'm not back by Monday!




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Waste Watch makes recycling fun

Fun & Frolics at the Waste Educators Annual Conference
L-R: Beverlie Warman, Laura Silverstone, Steven Lawson & me
with Waste Watch's Maree Waller

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in the Annual Waste Educators Conference, organised by the wonderful environmental charity Waste Watch.

It was a truly inspirational day, with workshops covering a wide range of accessible ideas to make the concept of waste reduction fun, especially for the younger audiences in the UK. There were also presentations from Kirstie Hawkes of Procter & Gamble about the ways in which the company is slimming down its packaging, and Lindsay Coyle from WRAP who talked about exciting plans for addressing food waste in schools.

The sessions kicked off with my presentation about the zero waste challenge that I took last year. To anyone who was there, I apologise now for going into extra time. Regular visitors to the blog already know I come with an appropriate warning "Talks hindlegs off proverbial donkey" and if it's on the subject of zero waste, it's most definitely a case of duck and take cover.

However, it was a real privilege to have the opportunity to chat to many of the recycling officers and waste educators who work up and down the length-and-breadth of the country to promote waste reduction within their communities. Ideas that particularly caught my eye were Green Awards winner Resource Cumbria's fantastic R Factor Campaign and Buckinghamshire County Council's Recycled Clothes show.

For me, the last workshop of the day, was most definitely the icing on the cake, offering lots of ideas to teach recycling to foundation-stage children, through the appeal of stories and song. Having a 5-year-old and also being an active governor of our local primary school, this appealed to me greatly and Maree Waller from Waste Watch was an excellent coach, opening up our imaginations to turn well-known songs into recycling messages.

Yes - she even had us huddled into groups, trying to make up our own songs that would appeal to the young. I can tell you with only about 15 minutes to play with, it was a bit of a challenge.

But our group (pictured above) featuring Beverlie Warman from Wokingham Borough Council, Enfield's Laura Silverstone and Steven Lawson, from Luton Borough Council, managed to come up with a festive little ditty, which I'll be singing to my children later.

Are you ready to join in? Come on, loosen your inhibitions, gather your colleagues or your families and get your singing voices at the ready to join in the fun. You'll already know the tune.

Jingle Bells
Rubbish smells
Don't throw it all away
Oh what fun you can have
wasting less each day!

Hey!

Jingle bells
Rubbish smells
Recycle all your tins,
Paper, cards and empty jars
get made into new things!

Hey!

Jingle bells
Rubbish smells
Compost all your greens,
food, leaves and Christmas trees.
It keeps the planet clean!

HEY!

And there you have it! As you can see, we were beginning to get into the flow and just in time for the festive season too.

Of course I can't resist asking whether you've got any similar ditties to share? If so, jot them down in the comments below and get me singing - but make sure you keep them clean because I blush very easily you know.

So, while you're scratching your heads, I'm off into Bury St Edmunds to see if I can catch up with the folk from St Edmundsbury Borough Council at their Love Food Hate Waste stand, which is in the market today. If I ask nicely, I might get the chance to have a go on their smoothie bike.

Thanks again to all those at the Waste Watch conference who gave me a warm welcome yesterday. As ever, I've come away even more inspired than I was before.

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For more information about Waste Watch and its work, please visit the organisation's website: www.wastewatch.org.uk.

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Charity Auction for Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund

Today in Cumbria people are still struggling to get to work and school. It's no surprise given the severity of the recent floods. As well as the terrible consequences affecting people's homes and lives, sixteen bridges have also collapsed. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like for people in the area, but I can fully understand one woman's desire to help.

Kat, at Housewife Confidential, is helping to raise money for the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund, by organising an auction, which will be hosted on Bambino Goodies. The idea is to create a series of auction ‘lots’ of varying levels to sell in a silent auction. The auction will take place Monday 30th November – Sunday 6th December, the proceeds of which will be donated in full to the recovery fund.

So how can you help?

Donate: The auction will need lots of items of differing values.
Promote: If you know any donors, it would be great if you could contact them and also raise awareness of the auction on your blog.
Buy: Visit the auction everyday and place your bid.

More information about how you can help is available at Housewife Confidential, in this document here. Alternatively email cumbriafloodauction@googlemail.com.

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What women want...according to the Independent on Sunday

Well, there's never a quiet moment in the Almost Average household, even on Sundays, especially as I woke up this morning to find my face in a double-page-spread of the Independent on Sunday, along with David Cameron, Gordon Brown and three other bloggers, Liz at Violet Posy, Sandy Calico and TwentySomethingMum Claire, all members of the British Mummy Bloggers network.

The feature which discusses the importance of the female vote to the outcome of the next election comes hot on the heels of Tory leader David Cameron's live Mumsnet chat on Thursday. The online version can be read in full by clicking here.

Compared to the length of our interviews, our quotes in the Sunday paper are rather short. In fact I am billed as "Let-down Lady", due to my concerns with the current Labour party after being a long-term voter. And it's true, I don't have faith in Gordon Brown's leadership and if the election happened tomorrow, I am undecided about which party I would vote into government.

In my interview with the reporter, I had commented at length about the current reductions in funding for education and my worries over how this will impact on future generations, as schools are our foundation for the future. I also discussed the issues at the other end of the spectrum, with my worries over the long waiting lists in Wales for my mother to get treatment for her health problems. Neither she or my stepfather are at the age where they would have to sell their property to go into a care-home, but the older they get that is something else we will have to confront and I worry about their future welfare too.

On matters of the environment, I also mentioned that sustainability should be at the heart of government policies, no matter which party is elected as it is paramount that our country's resources are managed effectively across public and private sectors and in our homes.

But I also praised the hard work of the current government on pushing recycling targets and the move towards zero waste, and said if the conservatives came into power, how I hope they would build on this rather than undermine it. The Tory plans on this appear to be pushing the right buttons - and following my last blogpost, I have emailed David Cameron with an invitation for him to provide further comment.

I have to admit that it hasn't been an entirely comfortable experience discussing politics in public. I am normally the kind of person that keeps my opinions in this area firmly to myself, probably for fear of looking an idiot and the assumption that actually everybody else knows better than me. I am not a natural moaner and prefer to offer up-beat praise instead.

However thanks to my recent appearance in the "live commentary box" at the Times Online's Alpha Mummy blog and the publication of today's feature, I feel like I've finally "come out".

Maybe it's also a sign that I have finally grown up, with a desire to provide the best possible future for my children as well as others across the country who need the government's support.

How about you, are you a political animal or someone like me who has traditionally preferred to watch others have their say? Maybe you're a bit of both. I'd love to know.

So what DO women want when it comes to the next election? when I rang my mother this morning to get her position, all she had to say was...

"Well, they're all as bad as each other!"

So it looks like Dave and Gordon will have a tough job getting my mum's vote too.

Politics eh. Well now that I've had my two-penneth, I'm off to empty my bin!

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