Be unpackaged

Unnecessary packaging forms a huge part of our waste. A new shop in Islington provides a place for you to shop, without the packaging. Just bring your own containers, and fill them up with what you need.

For more information, see http://www.beunpackaged.com/

Watch your Waste Week

"The amount of waste produced in North London, like everywhere, is growing year on year and although recycling it is great, preventing it is even better…"

Camden Council together with the North London Waste Authority are challenging residents to reduce their waste to zero. The challenge forms part of the Watch your Waste Week which is running from 4-12 October.

For more information about the week and the Challenge, including information packs full of useful tips
http://www.nlwa.gov.uk/html/watchyourwasteweek.asp#TheWatchYourWasteChallenge
and
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/leisure/news/2008/september/watch-your-waste-week.en

A week of local, organic, unpackaged food

6 – 21 September 2008
Join others for a week of eating only local organic food, free from plastic packaging to demonstrate to Government urgent action is needed to transform our food system. This is a ‘pilot’ in preparation for a bigger week next year!

Most of us would love to eat more locally grown food that has been grown in ways that are good for both our health and the environment. But how many of us feel we could actually do it with our current globalised and industrialised food system? Well three people, all with their different takes on local food, have decided to do just that and are asking you to join them for a week!

Between Saturday 6 and Sunday 21 September, during Organic Food Fortnight and when food is at its most abundant in the UK, we ask you, for one week, to only eat food from a selection of the following sources:

- Organically grown UK food without plastic packaging – if it is organically grown on British soil, it qualifies, but obviously the more local the better. Plastic packaging is out.

- Foraged food – food growing wild and abundantly all over the UK – free rich pickings!

- Self-grown food – any food you, your friends or family have grown.

Visit http://eatthechange.org for more information and advice on how to do it.

Sign up at www.pledgebank.com/eatthechange - if you are taking part please sign up even though we’ve already reached our target so we can show how many people are taking part: we need as many people signed up as possible to make an impact.

Group Meeting

Check our website: www.camdenfoe.org.uk for details of our next meeting.

Carton Recycling in Camden

Camden Council has recently introduced recycling of beverage cartons for residents. Seven collection points have already been set up around the borough where residents can bring their clean, flattened cartons. Camden Friends of the Earth would like to thank the Council for setting up the scheme. Further information, including the location of collection points, can be found on the Camden Council site

Bag Free Belsize

As part of our campaign on waste, members of Camden Friends of the Earth went out to interview people on the streets of Belsize Park regarding their views on throw-away shopping bags. Shoppers were asked whether they supported the idea of Belsize Park going “Bag Free” and how they think this should be achieved. The majority of shoppers support measures to reduce the use of plastic bags, and wanted this to be carried out by a combination of charging a levy and an area to drop-off and collect old bags.

Public meeting - 13th November

Camden FOE is hosting a public meeting to raise awareness about climate change and to encourage local MPs, Glenda Jackson and Frank Dobson, to back a strong climate change bill.

The bill will be introduced to parliament in November and FOE has concerns that the draft did not include...
- targets that reflected the latest scientific evidence
- the environmental impact of international aviation and shipping
- a requirement for annual reporting

The meeting will take place at Haverstock School, on Haverstock Hill, by Chalk Farm tube, on 13th November from 7.15pm.

Speakers include the 2 local MPs and Carbon Coach, Dave Hampton.

Contact us if you want to find out more.

Bin Bags

Camden Friends of the Earth today responded to London Council’s consultation on throw-out shopping bags.

The group supports the introduction of a levy on all throw out shopping bags, whether paper or plastic, together with restrictions on the types of bags that shops can supply.

Bags use finite resources in their manufacture and distribution. Additionally, on disposal, often after only one use, they create litter, add to the UK’s landfill problems, and endanger wildlife on land and in water. While throw out shopping bags form a small percentage of our waste, such a levy will send a strong message to consumers and businesses about the need to reduce our impact on the environment.

Paper bags are not the answer as lifecycle analysis has shown that their environmental impact, although different to plastic bags, is still damaging. The group believes that the answer is a return to reusable bags, and that we should not wait for this legislation to make that change.

On 17th November the group is holding a joint event with Highgate LEAF (Local Environment Action Forum) to help people make bags. javascript:void(0)Material, sewing machines, and lessons will be provided. Please contact camdenfoe@gmail.com for more information.

Heathrow: Getting local residents voices heard

Last weekend members of Camden FOE joined with Greenpeace, WDM, and the National Trust to ask West London residents for their views on the expansion of Heathrow airport.

As thousands of people gathered at the nearby Climate Camp we wanted to back up their action with evidence of local opinion. A thousand people were questioned, and the results of the poll showed:
- over 95% supported government action to make rail travel a more affordable, easy, and pleasant alternative to air travel within the UK;
- 62% opposed the expansion of Heathrow, with only 24% in favour of the plans (14% were unsure);
- 64% would be willing to holiday more in the UK than abroad to protect their local area from airport expansion, and help combat climate change

Polling was being conducted at locations across West London, including Richmond, Kew, Ealing Broadway, Houslow and Osterley Park: a historic National Trust house, green space and recreational resource for local people., already blighted by aircraft noise and pollution.  Sarah Kramer, MP for Richmond Park was presented with the results at Kew Gardens following polling (pictured). She told us how frustrating it was trying to make her constituents' opposition heard - BAA won't even attend a public meeting to hear their concerns.

Steve Huxton, a volunteer for Camden Friends of the Earth, who assisted with carrying out the poll said “The results of this poll show that people are prepared to change their own travel habits in order to protect the environment, preserve green spaces and tackle climate change.  Government policy needs to catch up with public opinion and  abandon plans for expanding aviation, instead focusing on providing viable alternatives for people’s travel needs.”

Learn more about the issues at http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/transport/case_studies/heathrow.html
 

Peak Oil goes mainstream

This week sees the theory of peak oil going mainstream with the International Energy Agency’s Medium Term Oil Market Report predicting a global oil “supply crunch” by 2012.

The theory of Peak Oil is that world production will peak and plateau at an undefined point in time and then begin to decline while demand continues to rise. Wars are already being fought over petroleum resources - imagine how much worse it could be if we do not respond to the decline in production with a similar decline in our use.

The IEA, which advises the world’s largest consumers, said this week that the world could face an oil crunch in five years’ time because producers outside the Middle East are unable to increase supplies at the rate demand is growing, meaning consumers will all be depending on the Opec cartel to pump out more from its fields. And there are doubts about the reliability of Opec's reserves...

This decline in supplies is not necessarily good news for climate change - alternatives such as heavy oil in Canada and biofuel have their own negative impacts on the environment. These 2 challenges need the same response - consume less, but can we show the restraint necessary, or is just human nature.

Read The Last Oil Shock to learn more.

The Big Green Curry - 14th June 2007

As part of London Sustainability Weeks, Camden Friends of the Earth is hosting a Curry Evening to raise awareness of action on climate change – locally, nationally and internationally – with the opportunity to hear about FoE’s progress from Suzy Edwards, a Friends of the Earth Board Member.


The event will take place at the award-winning Elephant Walk restaurant in West Hampstead from 7.30 pm on 14th June.

Tickets for a three course meal, including the first drink, are on sale for £25 and profits will be used to purchase educational equipment for use by the group at the many events they attend each year.

We approached the restaurant after their enthusiastic participation in last year's Local Food Festival. The owners are well aware that climate change will hit their country of origin, Sri Lanka, hard and are also taking part in the Camden Green Fair on 3rd June.

Please register your interest by writing to camdenfoe@gmail.com, calling Liz on 07730 30 40 30 or by calling in at the restaurant. We look forward to meeting you!

Camden Green Fair

Camden FoE was out in force for the start of London Sustainability Weeks at Camden Green Fair. It was a beautiful sunny day and we spoke to people from all around London and beyond. Over 300 people signed up to the Big Ask campaign, and we managed to raise some funds for future educational initiatives.

BBC Breakfast Bags

Our guerrilla bags project was featured on BBC Breakfast today, with me (Liz) on the sewing machine in a corner of Television Centre to show how easy it is to create something that does so much good in so little time. Whilst I doubt that I was using green energy for the creation of those 6 bags, the impact that they had is more than worth it. We got a wonderful comment on our previous blog entry abou the bags project, inspiring a textiles teacher to use the idea in her classroom, and 1000s of hits were generated on www.morsbags.com - the site for guerrilla bagging.

Guerrilla bags

Camden FoE has always looked out for ways to engage people on the street in discussions about the environment, but often actions speak louder than words. So, when we wanted to challenge people's use of plastic bags we wanted to offer a practical solution. We're concerned about the use of these bags as they kill millions of animals, cause floods, fill the remaining landfill sites and litter cities, countryside and oceans alike.


We've been making bags from old material (old dresses, curtains, duvet covers, and a couple of Steve's shirts) and giving them out on the street to encourage people to give up plastic bags for good. Today we gave out about 40 and got 50 plastic bags in return.

It was shocking to see the amount of plastic given out unnecessarily by shops - Woolworths had provided one shopper with 2 bags - 1 for a bottle of hair product and one for a (plastic-wrapped) birthday card.

Unfortunately we can't make people never use plastic again, but we will have got people thinking about why they should avoid using them, and everyone we asked agreed that there should be a ban or a tax on bags to help reduce their use.

- In the UK we use an average of 290 bags a year, and 1.2 trillion are used worldwide
- On average we use each bag for about 12 minutes before disposing of them
- Ireland's 15p PlasTax has resulted in a 90% reduction in use of plastic bags since its introduction in 2002
- In 2002 Bangladesh became the first country to ban plastic bags. A movement against them began in the 1980s in Dhaka, where bags were found to clog drains in the monsoon rains, causing flooding. Since then plastic bags have been banned in countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania and in the UK they've been banned from Modbury (Devon).

Supermarkets are saying that they will cut usage, but so far we've seen very little meaningful action. It is not enough to have the odd plastic-free day, and bags for life are still made of plastic. In fact, the plastic bag industry are using the harm done by these longer-lasting bags as a way of arguing against the implementation of a tax on plastic bags in the UK. As for promises regarding the introduction of degradable bags - consumers need to be aware that 'degradable' bags are not the same as biodegradable. They break down into smaller and smaller pieces which contaminate earth, waterways and oceans.








Some of our happy customers saying 'No' to plastic bags

If you want to make your own bag go to www.morsbags.com, even better make one for a friend as well. We were surprised how much we've enjoyed this project - working together to make these bags has resulted in some group members learning new skills, a lot of laughs, and some great job satisfaction. But if sewing really isn't your bag (pun completely intended) you can get really useful bags at www.onyabags.co.uk or something a bit more glamorous at Cheeky Leopard.

Eco Wars!

The Camden New Journal reported on 10 May of an Eco War breaking out in the borough. We've taken the bait and dived in to the melee.

The supposed war concerns plans by the Council's Sustainability TaskForce to revolutionise energy supply and demand in the borough, by supporting local energy generating stations in housing estates.

But at the same time the Council's Planning Department has refused a local resident planning permission to put solar panels on his roof, because his house is in a conservation area, where the look of the houses must be maintained at all costs.

Both Camden Friends of the Earth and Camden Greenpeace responded to the CNJ's article. Here is our letter, with comments about energy efficiency being more important edited out by the CNJ:

IT'S not often we can take heart from war breaking out, and yet here we are in Camden with different groups vying to be the greenest! (Eco War Declared, May 10).
Camden Friends of the Earth supports Councillor Alexis Rowell’s intentions to push Camden into the forefront of green councils. We support what is called de-centralised energy generation. This includes the combined heat and power systems for housing estates that Cllr Rowell mentions.
What we believe is more important, however, is a move away from dependency on other people to supply energy, and a positive move towards each home producing its own energy.
We recognise that there are barriers to changing our energy use habits. Cost is one: solar water heating, solar cells and rooftop wind turbines can be expensive.
But one of the biggest barriers is the planning system. There remains a tension between the policies that protect London’s best architecture, and the more important and urgent need to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
When we think of the tension between conservation and tackling climate change it is often incumbent on groups like ours to frame the issues non-politically. In this case: do your readers want old, inefficient, but nice looking houses with unadorned, uninsulated roofs greedily using energy, while householders swelter in another summer scorcher, and find that crops have failed again raising prices for staple foods like potato (and coffee for most Londoners), that there is a drought order in place for the fifth year running, and water is being tankered in to London?
Or, do we allow householders to sensitively adapt the look of their houses, even in conservation areas, to fight against this future?
You quote Cllr Rowell’s plans to supply an eco-audit for each of Camden’s homes. This service is already available – the council has been funding it for years.
If you call [0]800 512 012 the North London Energy Efficiency Advice Centre can guide you through the easiest and most cost effective options.
GRAEME MAUGHAN
Co-ordinator, Camden Friends of the Earth

Big Questions Asked

Camden FoE has held it's first Big Ask pub quiz - raising awareness and funds for the Big Ask campaign

Camden Friends of the Earth has hosted a "Does my Ask look Big in this?" Pub Quiz at the Adelaide Pub, Adelaide Road, NW3 on Monday 16th April. Every entrant received a free low energy lightbulb thanks to the Islington Energy Efficiency Centre and there was a jackpot draw for prizes including wind-up radios, DVDs and an energy efficient desklamp!

8 teams entered, not bad for a Monday night in April, and were tested with green-tinged questions on politics, sport, and celebrities.

We're now looking for other pub quizzes that we can slot an environmental round into - get in touch if you can help.

Rubbish recycling?

Camden Friends of the Earth recently wrote to local papers The Camden New Journal and The Ham & High about the recycling services in Camden. Here is our letter:

Sir,

With regard to recent articles on Camden’s waste collections. Residents are complaining that their two rubbish collections per week are being changed to two recycling collections per week. It may be useful to have some objective information to allow us to understand how significant this change is.

Camden has recently removed its door-to-door recycling service for housing estates. People who live on estates will have to carry their waste long distances to recycling bring banks. Meanwhile people who live in houses have waste trucks turning up to their door up to four times a week, once for recycling (soon to be twice), once for green waste and twice for the remaining rubbish (soon to be once).

There is a clear inequality here. Camden Council’s Equality Policy clearly states “We [the Council] are committed to ensuring that our services are accessible to all and responsive by ensuring our customers are aware of our services and that we deliver our services in ways that are sensitive to customers’ needs.”

By supplying a huge amount of services to those in houses and removing them from those on estates, Camden is clearly in breach of its own policy. Its recycling service is now less accessible to estates residents.

I suggest that home owners recognise the favourable treatment they receive from Camden. Other Boroughs supply just one rubbish collection per week. Some councils are now collecting rubbish and recycling on alternate weeks – a significant difference to the four collections to Camden’s houses.

Interestingly, Camden Council could also be in breach of its own Environmental Policy, in which they state “We are committed to setting a good example to other organisations [and] will cut down on unnecessary travel”. By providing more waste services than are needed to households, the Council deploys extra trucks on the road, clogging up traffic and belching out carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

This certainly sets an example, which seems to be: remove environmental services from those with least money, and lavish it on those with most. This is a social injustice and an environmental injustice.

Sincerely

Graeme Maughan

Coordinator, Camden Friends of the Earth

The Only Way is Up?

As Yazz famously (?) sang in 1988, the only way is up, and that certainly seems true of UK CO2 emissions ...

Figures published by the DTI today show that UK CO2 emissions in 2006 rose 1.2% over 2005 levels, and are only down 5.3% over 1990 levels - compare that to the government's target of a 20% reduction on 1990 levels by 2010. Emissions are now higher than at any other point during the current Labour administration.

The domestic sector was one of only two with an emissions reduction over 2005 (of 2.5%), but standby (pardon the pun) they are still up 3.4% over 1990 levels.

All the facts and figures can be found here.

So, do we need annual targets as part of the Climate Change Bill, or is the government record on long-term target setting (remember that target of 20% reduction on 1990 levels?) doing the trick? Get ready for them turning the national grid off in December 2010 ...

... or support the FoE campaign for a strong Climate Change Bill here.

Consumers welcome junk mail. Does the Earth?

According to research released by Royal Mail today, 7 in 10 consumers used a free sample that they received through the door and 37.6 per cent redeemed a money-off voucher or coupon.

This equates to more than 31.1 million free samples or money-off vouchers mailed by stores and brands in 2006 that were welcomed and used by consumers.

But as 550,000 tonnes of paper, equivalent to 3.3 million mature trees, are used for junk mail each year - this means that more than 1/10th of a tree was used for each 'offer' that is actually taken up.

Junk, or 'direct' mail, makes up 4% of all paper waste in the UK. Newspapers account for 20% of all paper used.

The difference is that those who are trying to reduce their paper use can choose not to buy newspapers, and the glossy nature of a lot of junk mail makes me think it's not as reliant on recycled content as newspapers are (average 41.2% recycled paper) but I'd be happy to hear I'm wrong on this!

You can opt out of addressed direct mail through the mail preference service, and opt out of unaddressed mail by sending your name and address to optout@royalmail.com.

Green Eggs and Sham

Shoppers are being urged to choose Easter eggs with the minimum of packaging after research by Camden Friends of the Earth (FoE) found that plastic and cardboard makes up more than a third of the total weight of some products.

From a random sample, the group was particularly impressed by Sainsbury’s approach – the proportion of the egg’s packaging came to a total of only 11% of the total weight, less than half of the closest competitor Duchy Organics.

Sainsbury’s also scored well on its advice to consumers about recycling and, as the cellophane wrapping is plain, it can be reused again and again to wrap other gifts. Green and Blacks are the only supplier surveyed who specifically mention that the packaging they use is recycled board. Other suppliers such as Nestlé and Marks and Spencer do mention that their cardboard packaging is recyclable; but if they do not use recycled board for their products, the recycling process cannot be completed.

The worst offenders in terms of over-packaging were Green and Blacks and Marks and Spencer, both for their organic eggs. Over 35% of the total box weights were down to the packaging rather than the egg! Organic farming processes are beneficial to animals and the environment but some of these benefits can be undone by marketing decisions outside the farm gate.

Are consumers also willing to pay for the 'luxuries' of increased Council Tax and overflowing landfill sites to pay for the disposal of all this waste? Camden Council has recently cut recycling services in its estates to reduce costs, as waste disposal charges rise beyond inflation. And very soon they will be cutting the second weekly refuse collection to private householders. The UK's landfill sites are under pressure and it is up to everyone to minimise the waste now going into them.