Making a difference - Rethink Rubbish

Frosty weather drove everyone quickly inside St Martha's church hall but nevertheless the recycling message is getting through according to East Sussex County Council.

The bus was manned by Kyra Berry and Fiona Wellings of the Environmental Action Team and has been up and running as part of the countywide campaign for four years.

"We go to around 175 events in a year," commented Fiona.

"We have seen a rise in recycling rates which we can attribute to our campaign. We have an ongoing schools education programme and we are going to infants, primary and secondary schools, and also run specific campaigns with the schools, such as Community Challenge, and we can see the rise in recycling rates from the pickups by local councils.

"We know it is hard to measure but we do know we are making a difference.

"We know children are very good at taking messages into the community - they have pester power, so they get their parents to do it and it is ground-training for them, because they will grow up with it as second nature. That is why we have a rolling schools programme and it is very important."

The Rethink Rubbish campaign will also be represented at Bexhill Farmers' Market on Thursday January 22, 9-12am, and before that at Battle Farmers' Market on Saturday January 17.