Repair, Reuse, Recycle
Repair, reuse, recycle was the slogan I grew up with, but sometimes it seems that we rush onto the recycling, forgetting the first two. Could we consider taking our small items to the fix it café at the Star and Shadow on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, and share a meal at the same time? That would enable us to reuse items, rather than replace them, Less in landfill and more money in your pocket.
Where do we buy our clothes? Fast fashion is not good for employees or the planet. Too often poorly made goods flood the market at low prices, tempting us to buy unnecessary stuff.
It is fun to explore vintage shops and get a few well made items. Or learn to repair your much loved items to give them a new lease of life. Again, the Star and Shadow can help, with a workshop once a fortnight on a Sunday afternoon. There is a lot going on. Dwellbeing’s Get Crafty on a Tuesday afternoon at the Forum Café can help too.
It is difficult when shopping to avoid packaging, but perhaps, if time and circumstances allow, we could try shopping at the Grainger Market, where we don’t have to buy in big packets. Or come to Shieldfield Grows on Wednesday morning at SAW to join in with growing, and learn how food can be grown even in the smallest spaces. It is fun, satisfying, and the food is tastier. We can learn from each other’s food and growing traditions.
And then we come to recycling. It takes a bit of time rinsing out jars and cans, but it is not too difficult a habit to get into. And now it goes into the blue bin all together, no need to use the black bottle container anymore. The council can give more information.
Our neighbourhood care walk arounds once a month have their part to play in keeping Shieldfield tidy, but we can perhaps make it a more welcoming place for us all by trying to produce less litter in the first place.
Written by Helen Lunn
Who can help:
Fix It Cafe and Community Kitchen, Star & Shadow Cinema https://www.starandshadow.org.uk/programme/event/community-kitchen,9056/
Star and Shadow Cinema https://www.starandshadow.org.uk/
Get Crafty, Dwellbeing Shieldfield https://www.dwellbeingshieldfield.org.uk/whats-on
Shieldfield Grows https://www.dwellbeingshieldfield.org.uk/programmes/shieling-programme#growing
What to put in your bins, Newcastle City Council https://new.newcastle.gov.uk/recycling-waste/what-put-your-bins/recycling-z