Regular readers of KBZine will be aware that I have a passion for recycling, be it adding peelings, used teabags and grass cuttings to the compost bin; the stuff that is removed each week by our local councils, or the giving (or selling) of unwanted furniture and appliances to others - rather than taking it to the local dump.

In yesterday's issue of KBZine's sister publication Cleanzine (www.thecleanzine.com) I applauded the RecycleMania initiative, whereby schools and colleges across the US race to collect the heaviest load of recyclables over an eight week period. The total collected was 92,000,000 lbs, which prevented the release of nearly 150,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E). This reduction in greenhouse gases is, apparently, the equivalent to the annual emissions from more than 25,840 passenger cars; electricity use of more than nearly 16,406 homes. Not bad eh?

What disappointed me was that despite the UK supposedly taking part in this initiative, I didn't know anything about it, which meant that either it wasn't getting the publicity it deserves, or we haven't quite grasped the concept.

I've just received a press release headed up: 'Earth Day 2012: Groups organise to bring recycling into 21st Century: New coalition seeks to make manufacturers responsible for collecting and recycling products' and I wonder whether again this is also going to be an initiative embraced by our US neighbours and largely ignored by us over here.

I know that the EU has decreed that we as consumers can take our packaging back the store that supplied our purchases and the incumbent packaging, but how many of us actually do so? And can our industry do more to make this happen?

I'd love to have your thoughts on the above, as well as your thoughts on the initiative, which is outlined in the following release:
more 

Yours,