Cut cost of recycling

Published: 2 September, 2010

• HAVING recently visited the Ministry of Food exhibition at the Imperial War Museum I was inspired by the ingenious ideas people came up with during the Second World War for the reduction and recycling of many forms of waste.

So it’s good news that Camden has now extended its service to include a scheme for the collection of waste food.

They have provided well-designed lockable recycling boxes, kitchen collection caddies and biodegradable plastic caddy liners to hold left-over food scraps.

When my supply of bags had run out I went to the Regis Road recycling centre for more.

They do not supply the liners but instead provided a list of six shops in the area which sell them.

I called Waitrose in Finchley Road where I was told that 20 biodegradable bags currently retail at £2.99.

This appears to be an expensive element in the recycling scheme especially when costs are calculated across the borough as a whole.

We need to find alternative, cheaper, ways of approaching this issue.

Maybe the cost of bags could be reduced if Camden considered ordering them in bulk from their original supplier, they could then be sold at a more competitive price through recycling centres.

Do readers have any clever, cost-free, answers to this problem that they could share?

ALVINA KAYED
Nassington Road, NW3