Plastics Campaign Update - May 2019

Feedback from the Planet Hub day
Our screening of "A Plastic Ocean" at the Festival of Debate event went well with interest in the campaigns at our stall, and it was felt the film was an effective way of inspiring people to potentially get more involved. It was suggested we could have taken contact details so we could invite people personally to come to a local group meeting.

Schools
Richard is working with local schools, with a range of age groups and activities. There are also some excellent resources produced by marine conservation groups that could be useful for schools.

MPs
The other current priority is getting local MPs on board. Likely to be more information on Plastics campaigning shared at Groundswell. Potential actions were discussed  to raise awareness. Related issues were also discussed including incineration policy and role of INEOS.

Plastics Campaign - April 2019

“A Plastic Ocean” film screening with Festival of Debate is at 2:30 pm on Saturday 11 May at Theatre Deli and we will need to staff a stall during the day and Justin will be able to promote it on Twitter and take photographs. Click here for more details

Richard and Amy will discuss future support for the MPs campaign to promote a Plastics Pollution Action Plan Bill and the petition.

Plastics Campaign Update March 2019

Richard had done a talk and activities with Year 4 at Rivelin. Shaun has been in touch with Amy Parker originally from Bristol, but now living in the Peak District. She has lots of experience with beach clean-up activities and a link to the producer of Plastic Ocean so might be able to provide additional contacts. The Plastic Ocean film screening with Festival of Debate has a 2 hour slot (starting at 2:30 at Theatre Deli as part of the One Planet Hub Day) so there will no be time for more than a short discussion/Q&A.

See https://www.facebook.com/events/976614342538285/ for more details of the Festival of Debate event which takes place on Saturday May 11.

MPs’ plastics campaigning group  – 30 MPs attended the meeting at Westminster to launch a campaign to support plastics legislation.

Plastics Update - January 2019

Richard had a successful meeting with Louise Haigh to ask her to support development of the MPs’ plastics group to campaign for legislation. She is happy to also support by asking a parliamentary question on plastics.

Demand for plastic-free products/shopping growing – “Unwrapped” on Crookes Road getting 50-70 customers a day (100 at the weekend).

Screening of “Plastic Ocean” planned for 11 May as a Festival of Debate event. Action: Shaun to check plans with Drew who is organising and inviting Simon Bowen; Richard to invite Louise Haigh.

Black Plastic pots – Shaun has suggested taking plastics that cannot be recycled back to the retailer to ask them if they can re-use/recycle, at least to raise awareness.

MoveGB -  A national gym has branded water bottles and have asked for endorsement. Action – to share information with Drew and Beatrice and potentially request advice from national FoE.

Plastics Campaign Update - November 2018

Drew gave an update about the screening of the film A Plastic Ocean. We hope to join forces with the Light Cinema and the Festival of Debate for spring 2019. Simon confirmed that national FoE should be able to provide an appropriate speaker who could re-iterate the FoE environmental line on plastics.

Richard participated in a national teleconference which discussed contacting supportive MPs and subsequently contacted Louise Hague but has not yet had a reply. He has requested a meeting and offered a photo opportunity.

Campaign Update - August 2018

Fracking

• Richard provided an update. The Marsh Lane application was approved largely on grounds of putative energy needs.
• Sheffield Climate Alliance are continuing to meet regularly with councillor Jack Scott.
• A training workshop for councillors, with the Council’s Chief Planning Officer and two independent experts, is likely to be 26 or 27 September. It will look at the issues of waste fracking water at Ecclesfield.
• Alan and Richard visited the Mission Springs and Tinker Lane protection camps. 
• Detailed information on recent anti-fracking news and plans available from Sheffield Against Fracking website and newsletter.

Plastics

• The Deep in Hull apparently don’t want groups for their beach clean activity so we have dropped this as a social event.
• We were contacted by the Brownies to see if we could do a talk about plastics. Richard will follow this up and offer to do a talk.
• Our main campaign focus at the minute is the opportunity for organising a local film screening  of  “A Plastic Ocean” with a panel discussion afterwards. Shaun has identified a number of options that he and Bert will follow up in terms of collaborative showings: We have the opportunity to screen “Blue Heart” about damming rivers but we feel it will be difficult to build up an audience. 

Air Pollution

• We are aware of national Friends of the Earth's Freedom of Information request to the council to obtain a copy of the feasibility study for Nitrogen Dioxide Compliance (required by DEFRA by 31 March 2018, under the Environment Act 1995, Air Quality Direction 2017) which identifies options for compliance with legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide. The council haven't provided this as the document is still in draft. Friends of the Earth are working on this and we will help if we can. 

Plastics Campaign - July 2018

We have resources for the plastics campaign and a national petition. We have used these on our recent stalls at Sharrow and Stannington.

The Deep Beach Clean organisers have not got back to Shaun so we don’t have any further information. We could do something locally instead with local community groups in Sheffield which would also help with local engagement with other groups.

Regional Office support - Simon Bowens has asked what support or help we need with campaigning or local group development. We will ask him how he can help with some very specific support to get more people engaged with the group and contributing to our campaigns to ensure the group is sustainable.

Other News - July 2018

Bristol FoE contacted us about trees and Shaun put them in touch with STAG and the Green Party.

Beatrice contacted a journalism student wanting an interview about public transport but they did not respond

Shaun has been writing to supermarkets and shops about reducing packaging and plastic waste. He has also contacted  the council about local changes to recycling and has asked about tetra paks which only have 2 recycling points in Sheffield.

Next Meeting: Mon 20 Aug at 7.30pm (Chair Richard; Note taker Liddy)

Other News - June 2016

June Meeting
Our monthly meeting for June was shorter than normal meeting with fewer people attending. This might have something to do with holidays and an England football match.

Facebook Update
Our Facebook page now has 125 people liking it. There has been a gradual increase over time with peaks coinciding with the Barclays’ fracking demonstration and our food adverts.

Stalls
We had to cancel the stall at Sharrow as we did not have anyone to run it. We’ve decided to go to Stannington on 9th July, but we need to know as soon as possible if we have enough people to run the stall.

Film Festival
We would like to organise another film festival later this year, so Shaun agreed to contact the Festival of Debate to see if with can join forces with them in October. People suggested films about food and air pollution. If you know of some good films then please let John know.

Waste strategy
There is an opportunity to comment on the South Yorkshire Waste Strategy for 2016-2021.  See link here.The closing date for comments is 31 July 2016.

Talks and Outings
Shaun tried to contact the Master Cutler with a view to talking about electric cars. It looks like there were problems with the email invitation we sent so this hasn’t happened.

We also suggested organising a trip to ITM power to look at their clean electricity to hydrogen systems. Beatrice is going to organise this.

Shaun mentioned that it would be a good social outing to clean a beach with the Marine Conservation Society between September 16-19 near Hull. We could clean the beach for a few hours and have a trip out to the seaside. See link here. Does anyone fancy this?

Litter Pick - September 2013

Sheffield Friends of the Earth cleaned up the area at the bottom of Ecclesall Road on Tuesday September 3rd, filling 12 large black bin bags, which they then delivered to Amey's offices. Friends of the Earth contacted Amey, the company that is supposed to keep Sheffield's streets clean, in the early summer to complain about the large amount of litter that had accumulated in the vegetation in this area. In response, Amey then cleaned it up, but on inspection it was clear that they had missed quite a lot. The rubbish consisted mainly of food and drinks containers, some of which had clearly been there for months or even years.

It would be helpful if more bins were installed in this area, if more people used them and if the government introduced a bottle deposit-refund scheme, so that people were paid for returning empty bottles – as used to happen in the past. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England recently launched the UK Deposit Alliance, which is campaigning for the introduction of a deposit-refund system for drinks containers, like the scheme that has been in operation in Germany for ten years.

The litter pick was featured in the Sheffield Star:

Litter Pick Update - August 2013

Trisha informed us that she has complained twice to Amey about the amount of litter at the bottom of Ecclesall Road, particularly in the vegetation outside the Waitrose supermarket. On both occasions she was told by Amey that the litter had been cleaned up but when she went down to check, she discovered that the area concerned looked no different.

Trisha raised the issue of litter at a recent public meeting with representatives from Amey, who assured her that they were very keen to keep the streets and planted areas clean and to work with members of the public.

We are planning to do another litter pick on Tuesday 3rd September at 6pm at the bottom of Ecclesall Road, outside the Waitrose supermarket. The litter pickers will be retiring to the Wetherspoon's pub, also at the bottom of Ecclesall Road, afterwards, for social drinks and a meal. Please get in touch if you want to help out for an hour or so.

A few days later, on Friday 6th September there is a Streets Ahead workshop. Some members are planning to attend. Again, if you would like to take part then please let us know.

Litter Pick 2013

After Amey took over the highways and street cleaning from Sheffield City Council the annual big spring clean event was dropped. Trisha contacted them this month to ask if they have any plans to resume the big spring clean. Apparently, they intend to do some litter events and work with school children. Several members of the group will be attending a meeting with them in July to push the issue. If you are interested in attending the meeting then please see the event details below:

You're invited to an evening with Amey -  

Come and find out about Amey's approach to biodiversity

Last year Sheffield City Council awarded Amey plc the ‘Streets Ahead’ contract to carry out road improvements and maintenance across the city. The aim of the contract is to significantly improve the city’s roads, pavements, street lights, bridges etc. The majority of the Streets Ahead improvements will take place in the first 5 years of this 25 year contract and work has already begun.

The potential for Amey to impact (both positively and negatively) on the wildlife of the city is significant. Under the contract, Amey is now responsible for 2.9 million square metres of grass, 178,000 metres of hedges and almost 36,000 road-side trees. Their work includes regular maintenance, such as grass cutting, as well as road-side tree pruning and felling as part of larger improvement schemes.

This evening talk will take a look at Amey’s approach to biodiversity as part of its “Streets Ahead” programme. Staff from Amey will provide an overview of the programme and what they are doing to support local wildlife and biodiversity. You will then have the chance to ask questions about activity planned across Sheffield in relation to trees, verges, wildlife, species protection etc.

This event asks for a minimum donation of £3. To book your place, please phone 0114 2634335 or email mail@wildsheffield.com

When: Thursday 18th July
Where: Victoria Hall, 37 Stafford Road, Sheffield S2 2SF
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm start
Free for Wild Sheffield members, suggested minimum donation of £3 for non-members

The evening will include:
• Details about the Streets Ahead programme
• What Amey are doing to support local wildlife and biodiversity
• An opportunity to ask questions

2012 - 2013 Yearly Review

Clean British Energy Campaign
This has mainly focused on people signing postcards to urge the government to invest in renewables rather than following a ‘Dash for gas’.  If gas fired power stations were built it would mean the UK would not achieve it’s Climate Change targets, it would mean less green jobs and higher fuel bills as gas prices continue to rise.  People were also encouraged to earn a CBE certificate by switching to a power company that invests in renewables such as Ecotricity or Good Energy.  A petition to make Sheffield a Frack-free city was started with Sheffield Climate Alliance.  A photo stunt entitled ‘Green is working’ to promote green jobs was held in October.  A display of photographs featuring Renewable Energy was set up in the Town Hall foyer in December.

‘Energy we can all afford’ public meeting – Clive Betts MP (Labour), Cllr Joe Otten (LibDem) Simon Bowen (FoE) Craig Jackson (SYHA & LiveGreen) and Emma Bridge (Sheffield Renewables) answered questions from the public about the rocketing fuel bills, green jobs and climate change.  The meeting held at The Circle on Rockingham Lane, was organised by Sheffield Friends of the Earth in collaboration with Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change.  It was held despite heavy snowfall and hope it influences Decarbonisation targets being included in the Energy Bill.

The Bee Cause
In July we held a Bee Breakfast with Meg Munn MP & Cllr Isabel Bowler and were featured on Radio Sheffield by Paulette Edwards.  In September Cllr Jillian Creasy and Cllr Sylvia Anginotti attended a Bee Walk.  There was a petition for a National Bee Action Plan and cards for people to sign.  Free seeds, wildflower posters and booklets made this a very popular campaign.  A bee map where people had marked their bee friendly gardens was displayed in the Town Hall foyer in September.  The group are currently searching for a site to plant a bee meadow in Sheffield.

Make it Better Campaign
Some smart phones contain tin which comes from Bangka Island in Indonesia causing devastation of the environment.  E-mails were sent to Samsung and Apple.


Litter Pick
We conducted our litter pick on Penistone Road on the Jubilee Holiday Tuesday 5th June 2012.  We wore masks of the Royal Family and were featured in the Sheffield Star newspaper.

Free Green Film Festival
As a result of a ‘buy two get one free’ offer at Dogwoof films, we showed ‘The Island President’, a very recently released film, on 30th May 2012.

The latest film festival will take place in the Spring 2013 with four films being shown on successive Wednesdays at the Red Deer pub beginning with Blue Gold on 17th April.

Stalls
We have run 9 stalls at: Environment Week, National Climate Jobs Caravan, the Green Fair, Firth Park Festival, Lowedges Festival, Ecclesfield Gala, Sheffield Food Festival, Riverlution and Peace and Craft Fair

Facebook, Twitter and Website
Sheffield FoE now has an active presence on Facebook and Twitter thanks to John who tweets and posts regularly.  Shaun has radically updated the website so it has a fresh modern feel.

Speakers
Dave Berry from Sheffield Renewables spoke at the September meeting about the share offer.  As a result of this it was decided that Sheffield FoE should buy a share.  Malcolm Lee of Sheffield Forgemasters spoke at the February meeting on the subject of ‘A Manufacturing Perspective on UK & EU Climate Change Policy’

Training
Members have attended various training sessions including the FoE Northern Gathering at Haworth, Local Groups' Conference in London, Planning Masterclass (Richard) and the Bee Prepared Day in Darlington.  There were also more varied local training days such as Planning and Sustainable Housing.

Other Actions

• Gerry attended the ‘Broomhill Air Quality Symposium’ on 21st April 2012.  
• Richard reported on his visit to the Garden Organic AGM at the May meeting.
• Liddy helped out on 15th September on a Greenpeace stall to lobby MPs about the Electricity Market Reform Bill.
• Richard attended the Sheffield Food Conference on 13th September and wrote a short report.
• Maureen wrote in support of Holbrook Biomass plant providing it is locally sourced.
• We opposed the RecyCoal planning application with a draft letter of objection being circulated among members.  Unfortunately this was passed at the January planning meeting. 
• Met with Cllr Jack Scott in October to discuss SCC environmental policy.
• We opposed the widening of the Incinerator’s resource base to as far away as Newark.  A sample bullet pointed letter was circulated among members for them to lodge their objections.
• Maureen’s letter about fracking was featured in January 10th Sheffield Telegraph.
• John talked to Sheffield Rotary Club about Sheffield FoE on 12th February
• Beatrice and John lobbied David Blunkett on 9th March about putting pressure on the government about the Energy Bill

RecyCoal

Campaigners put questions to Sheffield Council at a meeting on Wednesday 5^th December.  Maureen asked if SCC thought digging up spoil heaps to extract coal was a form of extreme energy.  Jack Scott thought it wasn’t.  The planning application will probably be decided at a meeting on Tuesday 8th January? 

Incinerator planning application

Veolia (the operators of Sheffield's Incinerator) has applied to increase the amount of waste it imports by another 15,000 tonnes annually (bringing the total imported waste to 65,000 tpa). It is also proposed to extend the catchment area to as far as Mansfield and Newark. All Sheffield Friends of the Earth members are asked to object individually to the application to show the strength of feeling in Sheffield that objects to the incinerator and all it entails.


The letter Maureen has drafted on behalf of the group is: 
 

To: Howard Baxter  e-mail: planningapps@sheffield.gov.uk

Ref no: 12/03137/FUL

I write on behalf of Sheffield Friends of the Earth to express our objection to Veolia’s current application to vary Condition 3 of permission 01/10135/FUL.

In 2001 Sheffield Friends of the Earth warned of the forthcoming change in European waste legislation.  This would lead to much higher recycling rates and mean that within a few years there would not be enough waste to feed such a huge incinerator.  Sheffield Friends of the Earth recommended that if the incinerator was to be built the size should remain the same i.e. 125,000 tpa.  We were assured by Onyx that it would not be necessary to import huge amounts of waste and Condition 3 was written allaying our fears. Now we read ‘Of the ERF’s 225,00 tonne per annum permitted capacity, only approximately 110,000 to 115,000 tonnes of MSW and 50,000 to 55,000 tonnes of C&I waste are likely to be available year on year from within Sheffield.’  This phrase, on page 43 of the Supporting Statement shows that a 125,000 tpa facility would have been sufficient and recycling rates would have improved earlier due to pressure to reduce waste.

I will not expand on the greater value of recycling waste rather than burning it.  This is shown in the waste hierarchy.  It is possible to recycle up to 97% of household waste so clearly much of the waste reaching the incinerator could be more usefully dealt with.  The UK uses 2.5 planets worth of resources and the burning of waste must surely be one of the most decadent acts currently taking place.  Without the reuse of our resources we continue to use too much of the world’s cake.

We have the following particular points to make about this application:-

• Sheffield Friends of the Earth would like to be assured that any imported waste is truly residual and cannot be recycled.  The 2007 Waste Strategy states that waste that could be recycled should not be incinerated. 

• We would like to see Veolia attract far more local C&I waste rather than resorting to more lucrative imports.  If it priced waste disposal more attractively for C&I, there would be no need to import waste and no need for Condition 3 to be amended.  If the only alternative were to supplement feedstock with fossil fuels this would make good sense. 

• Waste should not be transported to Sheffield ERF if another ERF is nearer.  We believe Newark and Sherwood, Amber Valley, Ashfield and Mansfield are all nearer to Nottingham’s Eastcroft incinerator.  These areas should be excluded from this permission. 

Yours sincerely

Maureen Edwards

on behalf of Sheffield Friends of the Earth

Make it Better campaign

We have signed up for Friends of the Earth's latest campign called "Make it Better". The campaign launched on Saturday 24^th November and looks at the tin used in smartphones. See the link below for more details and to send letters asking for better products.

http://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/make_it_better_action_37571.html

The Guardian has a special feature on the issue in their Saturday magazine which can be read using the link here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/23/tin-mining-indonesia-bangka

Smartphones sold by best-selling brands almost certainly contain tin from a paradise island in Indonesia where tin mining is destroying forests and farmland, choking coral reefs and devastating many communities, a new Friends of the Earth investigation reveals.

FoE's research shows that Samsung and Apple deal with companies that use tin mined on Bangka island and it's almost certain that this tin ends up in their products, although the companies may not have known this or about the devastating effect of mining on the island. When asked by Friends of the Earth whether they used tin from Bangka, they neither confirmed nor denied this. Tin is used as solder in all phones and electronic gadgets.

       

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

       

"While Samsung and Apple's battle to lead the smartphone market is played out in courts and high streets around the world, the rival brands could have more in common than they'd like to think.

       

"Though they may not have realised it, our research shows that mining tin to make both companies' smartphones may come at a terrible cost to people and the environment."

       

To prevent problems elsewhere and help ensure that companies make products in a way that's within the planet's safe limits, Friends of the Earth's new Make It Better campaign is calling on Samsung and Apple customers and others to ask the smartphone makers to back new rules for all companies to come clean about their supply chains.

       

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins continued:

       

"Millions of us love our phones - we don't need to know complex details about how they're made but we do want to be sure that people or the planet aren't hurt in the process.

       

 "Friends of the Earth's new Make It Better campaign is asking smartphone makers to tell us if their phones contain tin that's linked to the destruction of precious forests and coral reefs and wrecking the lives of communities in Indonesia."

       

 "And to prevent problems elsewhere, we want them to back new rules for all companies to come clean about how they do business - so we can love our favourite products, and love the way they're made."

       

To address the problems in Bangka, Friends of the Earth is also calling for the smartphone giants to bring together affected parties to agree and implement a plan to halt environmental and human problems caused by tin mining.

Key findings from 'Mining for Smartphones: the True Cost of Tin':

       

Devastation on Bangka island:

       

* Dangerous and unregulated tin mining on Bangka island killed and injuring miners - police figures show that in 2011 an average of one miner a week died in an accident.

* Silt from tin mining dredgers and boats is clouding the formerly clear sea around Bangka, killing the seagrass eaten by turtles and 60-70% of the island's coral reefs, driving away fish and ruining fishermen's livelihoods.

* Farmers struggle to grow crops in soil turned acidic by the destruction of forests for tin mining, while abandoned craters scar large parts of Bangka island.

* Doctors suspect a possible link between Bangka's high number of malaria cases and the hundreds of abandoned tin mine craters filled with stagnant water that are a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitos.

* Almost half of all mined tin is turned into solder for the electronics industry and around a third of the world's tin is from Bangka and neighbouring island Belitung.

  

 Smartphones impact on the world:

  

* There are now more than 1 billion smartphones in use around the world, according to consulting firm Strategy Analytics, with growing demand likely to push this beyond 2 billion within the next three years.

* Samsung sold around 95 million smartphones in 2011 - producing these used enough water to fill the Royal Albert Hall 500 times and an area of land over twice the size of Birmingham.

* Apple sold around 93 million smartphones in 2011 - producing these used enough water to fill Wembley Stadium more than 80 times and an area of land more than three times the size of Glasgow.

* There are many things companies could do to reduce the impact of phones and make them better for customers - from introducing universal chargers or batteries that can charge in seconds to designing them to be much easier to take apart and repair. Experts say that through innovative design and better reuse of old phones phone companies could cut demand for tin and other raw materials.

       

More Details:

       

1. High-res professional photos of the devastation caused by tin mining on Bangka island can be downloaded for free editorial use here: http://photolibrary.foe.co.uk/?c=126&k=11d5cf9866

2. Case studies of people affected by mining in Bangka and the full investigation into Samsung and Apple's supply chains are available in Friends of the Earth's new report 'Mining for Smartphones: the True Cost of Tin': http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/tin_mining.pdf

3. Friends of the Earth's new Make It Better campaign is asking leading smartphone makers to say whether their phones contain tin linked to the destruction of coral reefs and forests in Indonesia's Bangka islands - and to back new rules for all companies to come clean about their supply chains at www.foe.co.uk/makeitbetter. To help end problems in the supply chain, we're calling for legislation requiring large companies operating in Europe to report on their full human and environmental impacts - including indirect impacts through suppliers - such as accidents, pollution incidents, greenhouse gas emissions and how much of the world's water, land and raw materials they use. The Make It Better campaign will also celebrate positive steps companies are taking towards more planet-friendly production and how innovative design can reduce the environmental impact of our favourite items.

   

We will let you know more about what we are planning to do next month.

Waste Campaign

From yoghurt pots to CDs, we know that people across the UK are fed up with having to bin so much rubbish and much of it could be avoided in the first place if companies cut unnecessary packaging and products were built to last.  The Government is now deciding what to do about the nation's rubbish and the results of this Waste Review are due in May, so we have a massive opportunity to push for an ambitious goal to halve household 'black bag' waste by 2020. We're also asking for a similar goal for businesses to cut the amount of waste they bury and burn.

To make the campaign visible to the Government, several members of Sheffield Friends of the Earth joined a spoof version of David Cameron outside the Town Hall to call for a 50% reduction in household waste. The stunt obtained press coverage and the photograph below in the Sheffield Star.

For more details of the campaign see www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/talking_half_rubbish_27167.html

Beach Cleaning 2010

Trisha has been in touch with the Marine Conservation Society and several local organisers about beach cleaning on the weekend of 18 and 19 September, as part of the Society's nationwide beach clean up.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) urgently needs volunteers to take part in the UK’s biggest beach clean and litter survey. Over 4,500 volunteers took part in Beachwatch Big Weekend 2009, cleaning 397 beaches. MCS is hoping that this year’s Beachwatch will be even bigger and better, and that more of the UK’s beaches will be cleaned and surveyed.

The tide of litter washing up on our shores is not just unpleasant to look at; it can harm and kill some of our best-loved marine animals. Many species of marine wildlife including seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales mistake marine litter for food or become tangled in it; resulting in horrific injuries and sometimes death.

 The person organising the clean up at Hessle, near Hull,  says she would be delighted to see us. If you are interested in  helping out on one of these days then please contact Trisha Brutus on trisha.brutus@gmail.com

See: www.mcsuk.org

www.mcsuk.org/downloads/pollution/beachwatch/4%20Beachwatch%202008%20Backing%20Paper.pdf

If you have internet access then there is a good video of plastic rubbish accumulating in the oceans:

www.maskaras.com/2009/02/25/lets-talk-trash

Litter Pick 2010

For the second year running, members of Sheffield Friends of the Earth got their hands dirty cleaning up litter near Ecclesall Road. Thanks to everyone who took part

Dustbin of the UK

Maureen Edwards from the Sheffield FoE group joined up with campaigners from South Yorkshire Against Incineration to present the city with a golden wheelie bin to highlight how the city is becoming the “Dustbin of the UK”. At the moment the council is considering importing 75,000 tonnes of waste from  Barnsley, Doncaster and Chesterfield to feed the Sheffield incinerator which is run by Veolia.

South Yorkshire Against Incineration are calling for better waste treatment methods and better recycling facilities for items such as glass, food, drink cans and plastic bottles. Sheffield Council's planning board are expect to make a decision before the start of September.